Analog/digital video and audio picture composition apparatus and methods of constructing and utilizing same

ABSTRACT

A video composition apparatus and method select segments from image source material stored on at least one storage media (either random access and/or serial access) and denote serially connected sequences of the segments to thereby form a composition sequence. The apparatus and method employ a pictorial labels associated with each frame of image source material, and also associates at least one of such labels with each segment for ease of manipulating the segments to form the composition sequence. The labels are displayed on a plurality of ordered spatial arrays of display monitors to simulate the temporal relationship between the segments in what is typically a &#34;snapshot&#34; non-temporal display. The composition control function is highly user interactive and responds to user commands for selectively displaying segments from the source material on a pictorial display. The control function allows the user to denote a start and end of each of a plurality of selected segments to form defined segments, identify each selected segment by a pictorial image segment label which is displayed as described above, and assemble the selected and defined segments, and the corresponding labels, into a serially connected image sequence and a serially connected label sequence corresponding to the image sequence. The composition mode of operation employs continuous looping of the display segment(s) to aid the composing process.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Ser. No. 556,539 filed Dec. 2,1983, Pending, which in turn is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Ser. No.452,287, filed Dec. 22, 1982, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,188.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to an apparatus and method forcomposing visual source material. In particular, the invention providesan apparatus and method for dynamically composing stored source materialfor producing a composition sequence, the electronic data necessary toform the composition sequence, or edited output.

Over the past two decades, video tape has substantially replaced thetraditional photographic, e.g. silver halide, and other "non-electronic"film as the preferred media on which to film or compose a movie, news,or other program material. The increasing use of video tape has occurreddespite certain inherent limitations associated with video tape incomparison with traditional film. Video tape, like a developedphotographic film, is inherently a "serial access" medium; however aneditor is unable to "scc" the images on the video tape medium. The videoeditor must instead rely upon electronic apparatus to read and view theimages and to compose them to produce an edited product. To thecontrary, the film editor is able to have "hands-on" access to the filmand can directly view the visual scenes thereon. The film editor can cutand splice the film in the editing room.

The departure from film to video tape has dampened creative talents insome respects, in that the director is no longer able to applysubjective talents directly to the program medium. Instead, intermediatetechnically-skilled operating personnel are employed to control theelectronic composing process, taking orders from the director. Theorders are in terms of data, e.g., alphanumeric addresses of differenttaped sequences, rather than in terms of visual images.

The intermediate personnel thus perform the real hands-on manipulationof the video tape in an abstract environment of alphanumeric informationand work with bays of switches on a complex control panel. Thedirector's feel for the composition process is diminished, and thecomposing process is, as a consequence, slow and tedious, with lessenedsubjective interaction.

It is also known that one advantage to composing film media is theability to react to the temporal nature of the media. Edited film can bebrowsed back and forth, picked up and viewed, like a book, andphysically spliced. These advantages do not yet exist in present dayvideo composing equipment.

Therefore, primary objects of the invention are increasing thethroughput in the composing of video source material, lessening or evenremoving the need for intermediate personnel so that the director iscloser and more involved in the composing process, and solving thetime-space problem inherent in video tape composition. Other objects ofthe invention are a flexible composition apparatus and method, and areliable and user-friendly apparatus and method that can be employeddirectly, or indirectly, to create automatically a final edited master.Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Stated broadly, the invention proved equipment and methods forprocessing image information with improved human interaction. In apreferred practice of the invention, the image information is videoimages, as conventionally recorded and stored with electronic signals.The equipment and method have many applications.

In one aspect, the video processing equipment according to the inventionmakes is possible for an operator to scan visually through a vastlibrary of stored video images with greater speed and control thanpreviously possible. This new search capability which the inventionprovides has many uses. An illustrative one is for a news service tosearch a video data base for film clips of a subject that has suddenlybecome newsworthy.

Another aspect of video processing equipment according to the inventionmakes it possible for an operator to assemble a collection of videoimages into a program sequence, with a new degree of speed, facility andease. An example of this use of the invention is to compose a televisionprogram from a collection of shots recorded at different times and/orfrom different sources.

In each application of the invention, the video source material is inthe form of groups of frames, typically sequential, as results fromfilming a scene with a video camera. The groups of frames, referred toherein as segments, can be stored, when received by the equipment, in anunknown or an undesired order. The composition equipment enables anoperator to search the sequences of video segments, examine them asdesired, and to select portions of any sequences for sorting orreordering, for trimming, and for introducing different transitions fromone segment to another--all with human ease, responsiveness, andsubjective interaction akin to that of a skilled driver of a performanceautomobile.

Equipment according the invention generally employs any appropriateelectronic storage means for storing two or more duplicate counterpartsof the video source material. The equipment also has several monitorsand/or a single monitor with windows therein on which the video sourcematerial and video labels can be displayed for operator viewing.Appropriate electronic storage means include serial storage means suchas a bank of video tape recorders (VTR), random access storage meanssuch as Winchester hard disk drive, laser read/write digital discs andlarge computer RAMs, and static storage means such as a bubble memoryand crystal memory. A video label is, in the context of this invention,a representation derived from a frame of source material. A typicallabel is a low resolution digital representation of a high resolutionsource image. Such a label can be electronically stored and accessed athigh speeds, yet when viewed by an operator, the label provides nearlythe same information as the corresponding high resolution sourcematerial.

In one illustrative embodiment of this equipment, there is a first, mainmonitor or screen on which a selected sequence or other video segmentcan be repeatedly displayed, as if recorded on an endless loop. A set ofsecondary monitors or screens can display selected scenes of a videosequence, typically of the sequence being displayed on the main monitor.In addition, there preferably is at least one pair of linear arrays ofpassive display monitors or screens. In each pair, one array ispositioned above the other so that each monitor or screen of the upperarray is paired with, and aligned above, a monitor or screen of thelower array; and each such array pair pertains to one temporal sequencerepresentation or to one bin, as discussed further hereinbelow.

In another illustrative embodiment of this invention, there is a singlelarge monitor or primary display screen, the monitor exhibits main,secondary and passive display "windows" provided therein.

An operator standing or sitting before this video display systemcontrols it with two sets of controls, one for each hand. Each controlset has a cluster of finger switches, e.g., push-buttons, arranged witha large wheel for tactile operation with the minimal hand movement.

In general operation, the illustrated embodiment of this equipment caninclude operating modes termed "output", "sort", "trim" and "splice". Anoperator enters video source material into the equipment, i.e. stores iton the appropriate electronic storage means with the input mode. Theoperator can view the video images, typically on the main monitor orscreen, as they are being entered. The operator generally controls theequipment to prepare and store label pairs of the source material as itis being entered. Preferably, the equipment will automatically digitizea label for each incoming video frame so that subsequent videocompositions steps can be performed very rapdily, i.e., without pausesor interruptions. Alternatively, if memory is limited, it is possible todigitize labels for less than all the incoming video frames. Forexample, label pairs can be operator selected incoming video frames, orcan be automatically selected by the equipment on a repeating basis,e.g., every thirtieth input frame. Each label includes informationidentifying the corresponding segment of source material, preferablyidentifying an address where that segment is stored in electronicstorage means.

In the illustrated sort mode of operation, an operator assemblesselected label pairs, representing stored video source material, in adesired program sequence. The sequence of the label pairs is independentof the sequence according to which the source material is stored in theequipment.

More particularly, in this sort mode, an operator can select one or morelabels representing any stored video segment and place it in selectedsequence with one or more labels representing another video segment.Further, the operator can rearrange the sequence of the selected labels.In one use of the equipment, the operator selects a label pair and thevideo segment which it represents is then displayed with continuousrepetition on the main monitor or screen while the labels for thatsegment are displayed on the secondary monitors (or screens).

In the trim mode, the operator can shorten or lengthen any selectedsegment as it is being repeatedly displayed on the main monitor orscreen. The secondary monitors or screen in this mode of operationdisplay labels representing the first and last frames of the "trimmed"segment.

When the operator has assembled two or more selected and sequentiallyordered and trimmed segments in this manner, the beginning and endinglabels of each trimmed segment can be displayed on one set of thepassive monitors or screens, in the selected sequence. Further, theoperator can collapse two or more of such sorted segments if they arecontiguous and represent, as a single label pair displayed on thepassive monitors or screens, the plural segments forming the collapsedgroup.

An operator uses the splice mode of operation to edit the transitionbetween sorted video segments. The equipment in one embodiment of theinvention enables the operator to control the length of a transition,the type of transition, the starting and stopping points of thetransition, and the number of frames over which the transition occurs.

The above and further objects, details and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptionof preferred embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the composing apparatus inaccordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 1A-1C illustrates a second embodiment of the composing apparatusshown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed schematic block diagram of the electricalcircuitry according to the invention.

FIG. 2A illustrates a second embodiment of the block diagram of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed plan view of a typical console accordingto the invention.

FIGS 3A-3B illustrates a plan view of a typical console of the secondembodiment as shown in FIG. 1A,

FIG. 4 illustrates an electrical block showing those elements used forthe smooth scrolling display generation and control for the passivedisplay screens.

FIG. 4A illustrates an electrical block diagram in accordance with thesecond embodiment shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed electrical diagram showing the elementsnecessary for providing a smooth scroll of the video images across thepassive display screens.

FIG. 5A illustrates an electrical diagram in accordance with the secondembodiment shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 6 illustrates a partial electrical schematic diagram correspondingto FIG. 2 and showing the elements necessary for displaying andcontrolling video on the active display screens.

FIG. 6A illustrates a second embodiment of the diagram shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 illustrates a partial electrical schematic diagram correspondingto FIG. 2 and showing the portions of the system which input video tothe apparatus.

FIG. 8 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the video tape recorderinterface of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 illustrates an enlarged plan view of a manual control assemblyfor the apparatus.

FIG. 10 illustrates a flow chart showing controller operation during theinput mode of operation.

FIGS. 11A-11F illustrate flow charts showing controller operation duringthe sort mode of operation.

FIG. 12 illustrates a flow chart showing controller operation during thetrim mode of operation.

FIG. 13 illustrates a flow chart showing controller operation during thesplice mode of operation.

FIG. 14 illustrates another embodiment illustrating an alternate routingcircuitry to that of FIG. 2.

FIG. 14A illustrates an alternate routing circuit to that of FIG. 14.

FIG. 15 illustrates a detailed block diagram of a video tape recorderinterface as modified for the routing circuit of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 illustrates a detailed electrical block diagram of the routingcircuit of FIG. 14; and

FIG. 17 illustrates a detailed electrical diagram of a cross-point arraycircuitry shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 illustrates a schematic block diagram of another routingcircuitry to a system including both analog and digital storage andplayback capability for audio.

FIG. 19 illustrates a substantially similar schematic as that shown inFIG. 1B relating to video rather than audio.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

1. General Description of the Apparatus

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is directed to composingimage source material stored in an electronic memory medium, forexample, video tape used in conjunction with a video tape machine, toproduce a sequential grouping of segments making up a program or story.In some applications, composition can, but need not, further include theediting function of creating a final edited master. Typically, the imagesource material either is derived from already existing, productionquality video tape(s) or is provided, in real time, from one or moreexternal sources, such as cameras, for recording on video tape.

In its standard format, the video signal has a plurality of frames, eachframe having two fields. The video is displayed for normal viewing at arate of thirty frames per second. When the video tape is prepared, therecording device associates with each field a specific address oridentification tag. The address is typically written in accordance withthe SMPTE time code, a standard used throughout the television industry.Thus, irrespective of the source of the video material, there isassociated with each field of the recorded signal, a unique address orlocation which is read when the field is read or otherwise retrieved.

Referring to FIG. 1, the video composition apparatus 10 comprises acontrol console 12 from which an operator/editor controls the operationof the apparatus and provides the composing instructions which enablethe system to prepare a listing of video segments to be seriallyconnected to form a finished composition sequence. As used herein,"segment" refers to a sequence of frames. The frame sequence may form ashot, a scene (a sequence of shots), a picture sector (a sequence ofscenes), a program or story (a sequence of picture sectors), or anyother desired grouping of frames.

According to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the system mayemploy a plurality of serial storage media 13 and/or an appropriaterandom access storage means or static storage means as indicated at 15.In the illustrated embodiment, the serial storage media comprise videotape recorders (VTR's) such as those commercially sold and manufacturedby Sony Corporation under model No. 2500 while the storage means ispreferably one or more Winchester hard disk drives and/or Laserread/write disks. This VTR operates according to a Beta II or Beta IIItape format, has multiple heads for both a simultaneous recording andretrieval, provides a times-two and a times-ten or times-fifteen speedcontrol, a frame freeze for both forward and reverse modes, and allowssignificant remote control capability. Referring also to FIG. 2, theillustrated VTR's, labeled 14, 16, 18, and 20, interface with acomputer/controller 22 through respective recorder interfaces 24, 26,28, and 30. While only four VTR's and one storage disk 15 are shown inthe figures, it is contemplated that the system 10 will include up totwenty-two or more VTR's and/or several storage disk 15's to accomplishthe many functions and provide the many features to be describedhereinafter. For purposes of simplicity in the drawing, more VTR's havenot been shown but have been indicated by the plurality of dots betweenthe various recorders 14, 16; and 16, 18; and 18, 20. If Winchester harddisks and/or Laser read/write disks are used as the random accessstorage means 15, input video frames are digitized and compressed beforethey are transferred onto the storage disks for later retrievaldecompression and display.

The control of the apparatus depends upon the man-machine interactionavailable from the control console 12. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, thecontrol console includes a large main display screen 32 flanked by aplurality of smaller display screens 34, 36, 38, and 40. There arefurther provided a plurality of yet smaller label display screens 42,44, 46, . . . , 68, arranged in a two row ordered array. Below the labeldisplay screens is a manual control panel 70 which includes a right handcontrol wheel 74 and a left hand control wheel 76. Adjacent the controlwheels are a number of control keys 78, 79, 80, . . . , 99, and levers100, 101, 102, 103 whose functions are described in greater detailbelow.

A further embodiment of the apparatus best seen in FIG. 1A includes alarge segment-type display monitor 31 capable of accommodating, as"windows" or screens within the monitor 31, the main display screen 32,smaller display screens 34, 36, 38, 40 and label display screens 42, 44,46 . . . , 68, arranged similar to that shown in FIG. 1 in an orderedspatial array. This "segmented screen" approach permits the user to viewall the screens in one glance since the screens are not spread out overa great distance. Further screens 42', 44', 46', . . . 68', may beexhibited in a similar array. A further advantage of the segmentedscreen is that a single display processor 114' (best seen in FIG. 4A) isrequired. In addition, a larger number of "windows" are availablepermitting the user/editor to view multiple bins and select the "active"bin as discussed further hereinbelow.

The apparatus 10 also has a keyboard unit 104 having a simplifiedtypewriter keyboard for entering alphanumeric information into thecomputer/controller 22 and for responding to requests for information orinstructions which appear on a display screen monitor 105. In theillustrated embodiment of the invention, the typewriter keyboard andmonitor are housed apart from console 12, although the monitor andkeyboard could also be integrated with the console 12 as described inU.S. Pat. No. 4,538,188. The preferred and described layout of thecontrol console 12 can be changed in accordance with the needs of theparticular application. Thus, other applications can require a differentarrangement of the components and/or different numbers of displayscreens or other controls.

The apparatus is heavily user interactive. From the control panel 70 theoperator/editor can effect substantially any operating mode which isrequired for composing a video program from one or more availablesources. As noted above, the scenes recorded on a storage medium such asvideo tape are made up of a sequence of flames, each frame beingcomposed of two interlaced television fields. The composition apparatus10, in the illustrated embodiments is capable of operating upon theframes forming the source video at any of a number of operating levels.According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, each operatinglevel can be viewed as a "bin". Each bin contains a plurality ofsegments displayed as groups of label pairs, and each class of bins hasa separate and distinct purpose. For example, at the lowest or mostelementary level, there is a "source bin". the source bin represents theoperating level at which source material is read by and stored in theapparatus. At another operating level, there exists a "discard bin." Thediscard bin, as its name implies, contains those segments which, whileonce belonging in the source bin, have been "discarded" and removed, forexample from source bin. The "discarded" segments can be laterretrieved, if desired, as described in more detail below.

Another operating level, the so-called "select bin", acts like atemporary scratch pad memory in which the apparatus stores segments on alast in, first our (LIFO) basis. The select bin operating level isuseful for moving segments from, for example, the source bin to, forexample, a higher level bin. The higher level bins, of which there arefour according to the illustrated embodiment, are "program bins". It isat the program bin operating level that program material is sorted,trimmed, and spliced.

In an alternate embodiment of the invention, by way of further example,the operating levels can be designed according to a completely differentphilosophy. According to one alternate operating method, at the lowestor most elementary level (the zero level), the apparatus can operateupon predetermined segments of m^(n) frames where n, an integer,represents the operational level (level "1", level "2", etc.) and m isan arbitrary integer greater than 1. For example, if m equals seven,level one operates upon segments of seven frames, level two uponsegments of forty-nine frames, etc.

A predetermined segment, however, will not generally correspond to ashot, a scene, etc. Therefore, the apparatus has the further capability,in this alternate operating level embodiment, of allowing the operatorto designate segments of connected frames. At the operator designatedlevels of operation, the frames, when sequentially connected together,in the most elementary sense, form "shots" (analogous to film clips). Aplurality of shots (or clips) can be spliced together for forming avideo sector. Correspondingly, a plurality of video sectors togetherforms an entire program or story. In this alternate embodiment of theinvention, the apparatus operates at any of the levels of shot, scene,or sector as well as at predetermined levels "0", "1", "2", and "3"described above. Thus depending upon the level of operation selected, inthe alternate embodiment, the apparatus can operate upon eitherindividual frames (level 0), a predetermined group of frames (levels 1,2, and 3), or at the shot level (level 4), the scene level (level 5), orthe sector level (level 6).

Referring again to the preferred and illustrated embodiments of theinvention, source material read into the source bin, can have segments(or clips) marked off (but not physically divided) in a number of ways.The segments can be designated by, for example, regular sampling,wherein a segment is marked with labels extracted at a repeatingpredetermined time duration such as one second. Another method employed,according to the invention, for marking off source video into segments,relies upon an operator actuated control panel key which enables theoperator to mark off the incoming source material into segments bymarking preliminary decisions on-the-fly. Still further, a label mayautomatically be digitized for each incoming video frame, and theoperator is then free to create or designate a desired segment byselecting the appropriate beginning and ending labels (label pair) forthe segment during editing procedures.

In each instance, the composition apparatus 10 uses pictorial labels todesignate each segment (or a sequence of frames) of the video materialbeing composed. Thus, instead of forcing the user to manually identifyand record a video segment by either the SMPTE time codes or anotherartificial determination, one or more fields or frames of the segment(preferably digitized frames together with their machine retrievableSMPTE address codes), are employed to pictorially "label" the segment.The labels can be, as described below, the frames at the beginning andthe end of the segment. In other circumstances, the labels can be nearthe beginning and the end of the segment, or elsewhere.

Furthermore, more than one label can be used for a segment. In theillustrated embodiment of the invention, two labels are used, onepictorial label corresponding to the frame at the beginning of thesegment and a second pictorial label corresponding to the frame at theend of the segment. (Alternately, one label can be employed during aninitial "rough cut" and two labels can be used for the later compositionwork.) As the segments are assembled, in a desired order as describedhereinafter, the labels corresponding to the segments are similarlyordered.

In the illustrated embodiments of the invention the display screens 42,44, 46, . . . , 68 are designated "passive displays" and are generallyemployed for presenting a spatial display of the label pairs associatedwith a sequence of segments, one vertical pair of display screensshowing the beginning label (top display) and the ending label (bottomdisplay) of a segment. The video segment associated with a selected oneof the label pairs, designated by a control cursor, will typically bedisplayed on the main screen or "active display" 32. The beginning andending labels of the segment being displayed on the active display 32will typically be displayed on various ones of screens 34, 36, 38, 40depending upon the mode of operation as described below.

In the first embodiment, if the control cursor, the location of which isindicated by illumination elements 324 and controlled by lever 100,(FIG. 3), were set to the center screen pair of the passive displays,that is, to displays 54, 56, the segment corresponding to displays 54,56 will generally be displayed on the main screen 32. Further, theapparatus displays pictorial label pairs corresponding to the justpreceding three earlier segments on the three preceding vertical displayscreen pairs, i.e., display pairs 42, 44, 46, 48; and 50, 52. Similarly,the pictorial label pairs corresponding to the next succeeding threeoccurring segments are presented on passive display screens 58, 60; 62,64; and 66, 68. Thereby, the control console provides a spatial displaycorresponding to the temporal image presentation. This snapshot-typemultiple label display enables the user to maintain in temporalperspective, where the presently displayed segment on screen 32 "fits"in the segment sequence. The second embodiment of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1A would operate in a similar manner absent the elements 324.Additionally, it is possible to have more than two horizontal rows ofthe passive display screens as windows in monitor 31 (best seen in thebottom diagram of FIGS. 1A-1C), which includes a plurality of pairs ofrows of passive display screens. Where more than one pair of rows of thepassive display windows is employed, it is possible that each pair ofrows will pertain to a different temporal image presentation. Forexample, in the bottom diagram of FIG. 1A, the pair of rows includingscreens 42, 44, 46 . . . 60 would pertain to a temporal imagepresentation associated with the image shown in windows 32, 34, 36, 38,40, while the pairs of rows including screens 42', 44', 46' . . . 68'would pertain to a different temporal image display.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 2A, the communications and data managementcenter of the apparatus is the composing computer/controller 22. Thecomputer/controller has a central processing unit. Associated with thecontroller 22 is a printer 106, preferably a laser printer such as HPLaserjet. The controller 22 further has a digital data bus 107 fortransmitting digital data between the computer, a disk controller 108, apicture cache memory 109, a video digitizer 110, a display processingunit 112, and a display processing control 114. As best seen in FIG. 4A,the segmented screen embodiment utilizing screen 31 requires a digitaldata bus 107' interconnected with a display processing control forsegmented screen 114'. The controller 22 is further adapted to receiveinputs from the control panel 70 through an interface unit 120. As notedabove, the controller 22 is in direct communication with the various VTRinterfaces 24, 26, 28 and 30 and well as with video port interfaces 122,124, and 126. (Interfaces 122, 124 and 126 operate in response tocontroller 22 for controlling external video equipment, for exampleexternal VTR's). The controller 22 also operates video routing circuitry130, 132, and 134, and a video effects switching circuit 136.Preferably, the controller 22 operates with a system clock generator 140for system signal synchronization.

According to the illustrated embodiments, at the beginning of acomposing session, controller 22 operates in a default mode, which is anautomatic segmenting mode, for dividing "raw video" source material intoplural segments. The illustrated apparatus is thus designed to effect asegmentation of the source material according to a predetermined methodand sequence. This segmentation process is described above as a periodicsampling process. On the other hand, as noted above, it is alsodesirable for the operator to review the source material quickly androughly and indicate his initial feel for the divisions betweensegments. This operator controlled segmentation function can beimplemented in any arbitrary manner, and is described in detail below.In either segmentation mode, it is preferred that the system willdigitize a label for each incoming video frame.

Controller 22 is further responsive to the operator console forproviding a storyboard output to printer 106. The storyboard outputincludes a sequence of labels, generally at a program bin level, whichdescribes the flow of the story. In addition, if textual material hadbeen entered from the keyboard 104 with respect to any segment label,the material is also printed on the storyboard. The operator/editor canthen use the storyboard as a "hard copy" guide and aid during thecomposition process.

According to a related aspect of the invention, any source location ofany input video frame (as stored on any of the possible storage meansdiscussed above) can be associated with any computer file (in computer105) containing information such as director's note, script linereferences, etc.

2. Passive Display Operation

Referring to FIGS. 2-7, in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention, each passive display screen 42, 44, 46, . . . , 68 isprovided as a 3.7 inch monitor on which a relatively low resolution,128×120 picture element (pixel) raster is displayed. In the preferredembodiment of the invention best seen in FIGS. 1A-1C and FIGS. 3A-3B,the segment-type display monitor 31 is capable of exhibiting maindisplay screen 32, smaller display screens 34, 36, 38, 40 and aplurality of yet smaller label display screens 42, 44, . . . , 68arranged in two rows, and possibly additional display screens 42', 44',. . . 68'; 42", 44", . . . 68"; etc.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the digital display data, which representsthe pictorial labels, is generated by the video digitizer 110 undercontrol of the controller 22. Digitizer 110 receives analog video inputdata from video routing circuitry 130 over a line 143. The videodigitizer, which includes a fast A-D converter and a two picturecapacity random access memory, stores the digitized video, digitized tofour bits, for later presentation over the digital bus either to thedisplay processing unit 112, to the disk storage 146, or to the cachememory 109. Controller 22 controls the flow of digital data from thevideo digitizer, disk, or cache storage to the display processing unitand is capable of dynamically updating the pictorial labels displayed atthe console 12 at a rapid rate, for example, twenty-four per second.

The digitizer 110, through its computer interface, receives instructionsfrom controller 22 over the computer bus 107. The digitizer 110 is fastenough to grab a frame on-the-fly from an ongoing stream of videoinformation over line 143. The interface can therefore be instructed bythe controller 22, upon recognition of the time code location, totrigger upon recognition of the next vertical interval pulse, and thevideo or video segment associated therewith will then be digitized andstored. The frame time code is used by the apparatus to identify theframe. The digitizer can also digitize a frame displayed in the freezemode of VTR operation, read its time code, and store the data for futureuse by the controller.

The video output from the video routing circuitry 130 to the videodigitizer 110 is selected and dictated by the signal levels from thecontroller 22 over lines 142. The video routing circuitry 130 is anEXCLUSIVE OR routing circuitry which takes one of the video inputs (fromthe VTR's 14, . . . , 16, . . . , 18, . . . , 20, from video input ports275, 276, and from routing circuit 132) and provides that selected inputto the video digitizer over line 143. The selected video input signalcan thus be digitized to become available to be displayed as pictoriallabel. The video input and frame selection process is at least partiallycontrolled, as described below, by the operator/editor at controlconsole 12.

Controller 22 has associated with its disk controller 108, the highspeed disk storage device 146. Storage 146 can be employed, for example,to store a digitized label for each input video frame, or to store atleast all labels of interest so that they can be output to the displayprocessing unit 112 as needed. Since each illustrated passive displayscreen requires only eight kilobytes of information, the disk controllerand disk storage are fully capable of changing all of the displaysstored by the display processing unit 112 within a short time durationand therefore provide a great flexibility to operation of the pictoriallabel presentation.

Even though the disk controller 108 and disk storage 146 can operatewith access speeds on the order of ten milliseconds, the retrieval oflabels from different sections of the disk can result in a non-uniformrate of change for the passive displays 42, 44, 46, . . . , 68. Theapparatus therefore employs the picture cache memory 109, a high speedsolid state memory attached to the controller bus 107, for maintaining afast uniform label change rate. The cache memory 109 typically hassufficient storage capacity for sixty label pairs and has an access timeon the order of tens of micro-seconds which is significantly faster thanthe access time for disk storage 146. The cache memory 109 operatesunder the control of the controller 22 and receives new label pairs, asneeded, from the disk storage 146 under control of controller 22.

The display processing unit 112, referring in particular to FIG. 4, hastwo identical row processing circuits 150, 152 for driving,respectively, the top row of passive displays or screens and the bottomrow of passive displays or screens. Each row processor 150, 152 connectsto the data bus 107 and to the display processing control 114.

The row processors are described in detail in the parent applicationU.S. Ser. No. 556,539, filed Dec. 2, 1983 and shown in FIG. 5.

The need for multiple row processors is eliminated with the secondembodiment of the apparatus as best seen in FIG. 5A. Data bus 107connects to a digitized picture generator controller 154'. The operationof the digitized picture generator controller 154' is similar to theoperation of the row processors 154, and can be illustrated as follows.

Assume that video display 42, at the left edge of the upper row ofpassive display screens, is displaying a picture stored in picturegenerator controller 154'; that video display 46 is displaying a secondpicture stored in picture generator 154', and so on, so that videodisplay 66 is displaying a picture stored in picture generator 154'.Assume now that in accordance with the operation of control wheel 74 (aswill be described later) a new picture is to be shifted into the top rowfrom the right, that is, scrolling (or picture shifting) is effected tothe left. This is accomplished by directing the output of picturegenerator controller 154' to segment-type display monitor 31.

In this manner, a picture can be moved from one screen to another inwhat would appear to the viewer to be a relatively "jerky" instantaneouscharge whereby all screens change simultaneously.

It has been found desirable, in connection with the passive displayscreens, to scroll the video "smoothly" (hereinafter referred to as"smooth scrolling") from one screen to the next. Smooth scrolling refersto that motion wherein it appears as though the pictures were frames ofa continuous imaginary film strip which was moved, at a constant rate,behind openings corresponding to the passive display screens (in thedescribed example, the film is moved to the left). Thus, as smoothscrolling occurs, for a spatial extent corresponding to one completepicture, there is a time duration during which image movement occurs tothe left, and further during which a single picture image is splitbetween two adjacent screens. In the example herein, the imagedisappears at the left edge of a display screen and appears at the rightedge of the next adjacent screen (if any) to the left.

Smooth scrolling takes place in a sequence of eight or sixteen equalsteps, each step lasting one television field (that is, one-sixtieth ofa second). In other embodiments, greater or fewer steps can be used. Thedetailed discussion below relates to operation and control of thecircuitry for video display screen 42. The other displays screens arecontrolled and operate in a similar fashion.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, as previously set forth, smoothscrolling to the left, in sixteen equal steps, wherein, initially,screen 42 displays the picture stored in picture generator 154, screen46 displays the picture stored in picture generator 155, . . . , andscreen 66 displays the picture stored in generator 160. Initially screen42 displays one complete video picture. Functionally, after the first"step" in the sixteen step smooth scrolling process, (a) the leftmostone-sixteenth of the picture from the digital picture generator 154disappears from view in display screen 42; (b) the remainingfifteen-sixteenths of the picture are displayed on screen 42 starting atthe left edge of the screen; and (c) at the rightmost one-sixteenth ofthe screen 42 displays the leftmost one-sixteenth of a new picture frompicture generator 155. The same steps occur in the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1A-1C and FIG. 5A.

The resulting split image presentation is the result of a combination oftwo separate effects. The first effect is to add an offset count to theoutput of the memory address counter for all of the picture generatorcircuits, such as 154 or 154'. This procedure, in effect, rotates, inwrap-around fashion, each horizontal line of the display. This firststep is implemented as follows. Each four bit memory word, representinga pixel, is addressed by a fourteen bit address count, the seven leastsignificant bits representing the horizontal position on the displayscreen, and the seven most significant bits representing the verticalposition on the screen. The address "0" corresponds to the top leftmostpixel on the screen. Therefore, an offset count equal to eight pictureelements (128 picture elements divided by sixteen equal steps) from theoffset register 166 can be added to the memory address count output ofcounter 170 to offset the picture horizontally and if effect to move(wrap-around) the otherwise first displayed one-sixteenth of the picture(the leftmost portion) to the rightmost one-sixteenth of the screen.This offset is implemented by placing a count of eight in the offsetregister 166. The output of the offset register is added by digitaladder 164 to the seven least significant bits (the horizontal positionbits) of the position count. Thereafter, every further increment (ofeight) to the count in the offset register moves the rightmost edge ofthe stored display further to the left by one-sixteenth of a horizontalpicture line.

When the offset is "eight", a horizontal address count input to thememory 162 reaches the right edge of the picture stored in the digitalpicture generator when the displayed line is fifteen-sixteenths of thedistance across the display screen. The horizontal address input to thememory at this juncture is, in binary: "1111111". The next address countfrom the memory address counter causes the digital adder 164 tooverflow. The carry bit from the adder 164 however is not connected tothe memory address counter and therefore the displayed picture"wraps-around" to its stored leftmost portion and the new horizontaladdress count is, in binary: "0". The left one-sixteenth of the storedpicture line is then, absent any other manipulation, displayed at therightmost one-sixteenth of the passive display screen, such as screen42.

Since, in this embodiment, each digitized picture generator is displacedby the same offset count and operates synchronously with each othergenerator, all of the passive displays reach the "wrap-around" pointsimultaneously. It is at this time, when all displays reach the"wrap-around" point, that the second effect or process step of thesmooth scrolling implementation takes place. At the time when the"wrap-around" point is reached, all of the analog multiplexors areswitched to a new (the next "higher" in this example) picture generator.That is, at the "wrap-around" point, display 42 begins to receive itsvideo from picture generator 155, display 46 from generator 156, etc.,display 66 receiving its video from generator 161. Thus the rightmostone-sixteenth of the picture displayed on screen 42 is the leftmostone-sixteenth of the image stored in digitized picture generator 155.The screen 66 thus begins to display a new picture (from generator 161).The embodiment shown in FIG. 5A simplifies this process since only asingle picture generator controller 154' is required.

The generation of the second step of the "smooth scroll" is effected byincrementing the offset registers 166 of all of the picture generatorsto a next higher incremental count i.e., in the sixteen step embodimentto a count of sixteen. Thus, the video on each screen begins at thesecond incremental step into the stored picture. This corresponds toone-eighth of the sixteen horizontal picture element distance in thesixteen step embodiment. The multiplexors start each horizontal line inthe same "original" state (display screen 42 receiving its video fromgenerator 154, for example), and then switch to a next picture generatorseven-eighths, i.e., fourteen-sixteenths, of the distance across eachhorizontal line. This spatial distance corresponds to the wrap-aroundpoint.

The remaining fourteen steps required to complete a sixteen-step smoothscroll are a straight forward extension of this progression. Thus, theoffset registers increment to a new count, in the illustratedembodiment, once each frame. The multiplexors switch twice for eachhorizontal picture line, (first at the "wrap-around" point and again atthe end of the line). At the rightmost screen of the linear row array,in this example, there is "scrolled" into view the picture stored, butpreviously not displayed, in the "extra" picture generator, i.e.,generator 161.

If scrolling toward the right, for example, in eight steps, is calledfor by clockwise movement of control wheel 74, the same proceduredetailed above is followed, except that the stepwise movement occurs ina reverse order. Thus, the analog multiplexors first select the "new"picture being scrolled onto a screen, and switch at the wrap-aroundpoint to the old image. Similarly, a first offset of, in decimal, "112"is entered into offset register 166, and the offset register isdecremented by sixteen each vertical frame time. (Eight steps correspondto a movement of sixteen pixels each step). Correspondingly, in otherembodiments of the invention, more or fewer "scrolling" steps can bechosen to provide a greater or lesser perceived smoothness of motion orspeed of movement. For example, if four steps were desired, an offsetvalue of thirty-two (incremented by thirty-two each step) would beentered in the offset register for a left hand scroll.

An advantage of smooth scrolling, aside from the psychological advantageof a less confusing display, is found when the picture data basecontains a large number of label pairs. Then smooth scrolling to theright or left gives the effect of viewing a summary of a movie filmduring film editing. Also, however, stepping the pictures instantly fromdisplay screen to display screen (i.e. using the analog multiplexorswith an offset of zero) produces the effect, if only one display screenwere viewed, of watching a conventional moving picture.

It is important to note that since each analog multiplexor 174, 176, . .. , 186 is independently controlled by the display processing control114, it is possible to scroll images of some of the displays whileleaving other displays unchanged. For example, it is possible to leavethe pictures on displays 42, 46, and 50 unchanged and to scroll thepictures on displays 54, 58, 62, and 66 to the left thereby "shiftingout" the picture originally on monitor 54. This feature is implementedby maintaining the offset registers for those digitized picturegenerators being displayed on monitors 42, 46, and 50 set at "zero" (andcorrespondingly not switching the associated analog multiplexors). Theother registers and associated multiplexors are "cycled" as describedabove. Thus, the analog multiplexors and the offset registers 166 can beindependently controlled by the display controller 114. In the preferredembodiment employing the "windowed" monitor 21, the scrolling of imagesoccurs in the same manner, the images shift to different windows orscreens on the monitor 31.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, there isfurther featured, using the smooth scrolling technique, a method forsubstantially continuous scrolling in order to locate a particularsegment of the video. In accordance with this method, a control wheel 74or 76 is rapidly rotated a plurality of times to effect smoothscrolling. Since an operator can rotate the wheel at a relatively highrotation speed, that is, many detents per second, when compared to thetypical speed of smooth scrolling, the processor 22 stores the number ofdetent positions passed during the rotation of the control wheel andimplements the smooth scrolling procedure to move the label pairsdisplayed on the passive display screens by that number of screenpositions, to the right or left. The operator is then in a position toview the label pairs passing along the display screens. If, as theselabels pass by, the operator notes a position at which he wishes toterminate scrolling, he need only rotate the control wheel one detentposition in the opposite direction. The controller 22 recognizes thiswheel movement as a command to stop the smooth scrolling process. Theapparatus then reverts to a normal end of smooth scrolling condition asif the smooth scrolling had come to a natural termination.

In the absence of early termination of smooth scrolling as outlinedabove, the controller 22 continues the scrolling until the number ofpositions of movement along the passive display screens equals thenumber of detent positions of movement by the control wheel. At thattime, the passive display screen presentation returns to its normal andstationary one screen-one video frame presentation.

With further reference to FIGS. 2 and 5, as noted above, the picturegenerator memories 162a and 162b connect to the computer data bus 107 toreceive the picture data stored therein. Although the source of thepicture data can be either the picture cache memory 109, the videodigitizer 110, or disk storage 146, the picture cache memory suppliesthe image date to the data processing unit. As noted above, this enablesa more uniform presentation which is particularly helpful during thesmooth scrolling procedure wherein the two groups of memories 162a and162b are reloaded essentially during an eight or sixteen field timeinterval (one at the beginning of the interval and the other at the end)in order to maintain a continuing, smooth movement. The memory loadingtakes place under the control of controller 22. Controller 22 providesthe necessary address information to the picture cache memory and thedestination information to the display processing unit for enabling adirect transfer of data from the picture cache memory to the appropriatestorage in digital picture memory 162a and 162b. Controller 22 can alsoimplement similar data transfers between the video picture digitizer andthe disk controller and storage on the one hand, and the digital picturememories 162a and 16b, on the other.

The row processors 150, 152 of the first embodiment, or the digitizedpicture generator of the second embodiment, in combination with thedisplay processing control 114 can also be employed for a film stylepresentation, as described below, during the trim and splice operatingmodes. In the splice mode, for example, a horizontal display of a splicecan be effected independently scrolling the top and bottom rows ofdisplayed images in accordance with the respective rotational movementof control wheels 74 and 76. The top row. corresponds to the "from"video segment and the bottom row corresponds to the "to" video segment.By moving the "from" and "to" segments relative to one another, atemporal view of the splice can be achieved. The independent movement ofthe images is created by independently controlling the analogmultiplexors and offset registers for each row of passive displayscreens.

3. Video Display Processing--The Active Displays

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 6, the console 12 has the active maindisplay screen 32 and the four subsidiary active display screens 34, 36,38, and 40. The active display screen 32 is preferably a color monitor.These screens receive analog video signals from the video routingcircuit 134 and video effects switcher 136. These circuits, operatingunder the control of controller 22, select video signals from among thereal time video signal outputs of the video tape recorders, the videoinput ports, and the reduced resolution displays from the displayprocessing unit 112. The routing circuit 134 receives the processingunit video over lines 202, of which there is one line for each displayscreen. The routing circuit 134 and video effects switcher 136 displaythe video they received on the various active display screens. Thus, inthe embodiment seen in FIGS. 3 and 6, those active displays whichrequire the display of a single frame, such as a pictorial label, canemploy either the analog video from a VTR operating in a freeze framemode or the analog signal over lines 202 derived from a low resolutiondigital raster stored in a memory of the display processing unit.

In the first embodiment, under the direction of the controller 22, up tosix video inputs to circuitry 134 are selected for display on the fiveavailable monitors. Monitors 34, 36, 38, and 40 each connect to agenerally, but not necessarily, different one of the video output linesavailable form video routing circuit 134. The main color monitorreceives a video output from video effects switcher 136 over a line 203.Video effects switcher 136, under the control of controller 22, selectsone or the other, or causes a transition from one to the other, of thevideo input signals over lines 204 and 206, to be its output videosignal. In this manner, under control of controller 22, the monitor 332can display, for example, a continuous loop presentation of a videosegment (as discussed further below) or a continuous loop presentation,including the transition, between two video segments. The routingcircuitry 134 and video effects switcher 136 can also be employed, forexample, to blank all monitors except the main color monitor and todisplay on it the output of a single video input to circuitry 134.

As seen in FIGS. 3A-3B and FIG. 6A, the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention includes a console 12 having a segment-type displayscreen 31 capable of exhibiting multiple screens or "windows" includingactive display screen 32, four smaller, subsidiary active displayscreens 34, 36, 38 and 40. The monitor 31 is preferably a color monitor.The need for a line 202 for each display screen is eliminated in thisembodiment.

In addition, the "windowed" display monitor 31 permits the user/editorto view more than one "bin" or temporal sequence representation in thepassive display screens, as discussed above. The monitor 31 may be setto include two or more sets of passive displays in the lower portion ofthe monitor 31. Thus, the fixed number of screens provided in theprevious embodiment has been expanded to an unlimited number, dependentonly on the size of the monitor 31. This permits the user/editor to viewmultiple bins.

In the first embodiment of the invention, video routing circuit 134 andvideo effects switcher 136 are commercially available devices designedto provide the necessary video routing and "effects" functions. Ineffect, circuitry 34 provides a routing function which chooses fromamong the various input signals for display of an output signal. Forexample, circuit 134 can employ seven multi-pole video switches witheach being dedicated to one video output. All of the selection circuitsreceive the same video inputs.

4. Video Input/Output Recording

Referring now to FIG. 7, the video routing circuitry 132, under controlof controller 22, directs one or more of the video signals input itreceives over lines 260, 262, and 264, to one or more of the video taperecorders 14, 16, . . . , 20, to the random access storage means 15, tothe video digitizer, and/or to a video output port 224 (the latter fordelivery to, for example, an external device such as a video recorderwhich is not associated with the present embodiment of the invention).The video input to the routing circuit can be available from a videotape recorder 266, which has associated with it a video interface 268,from a video input port 270, or from the system clock generator 140.Video input port 270 receives video over a line 272 from an externalsource, and operates under the control of the video port interface 126.The video input port 270 can receive a video signal over line 272 from,for example a video camera. The video information over line 262 can becombined with clock identification signals from the system clockgenerator 140 over separate line 260. The system clock generator 140provide SMPTE time code signals for use in the composing process.Alternatively and preferably, in the illustrated embodiment, thecapability of providing SMPTE time code data is distributed among theinterface circuits 24, 26, . . . , and clock generator 140 providesmaster clock timing for the apparatus.

The video routing circuitry 132 thus connects a selected video signalfrom lines 260, 262, 264, and 273 to either a video output port 274,controlled by the video port interface 124, and/or to any or all videotape recorders for recording. And, if necessary, the time code locationover lines 260 from the clock generator 140 is also available forwriting onto the video tape recorders. This occurs, for example, if thevideo signals do not already contain the time code information.

The video routing circuitry 132 can employ commercially availabledevices, and operates as an EXCLUSIVE OR gate with respect to the videoinputs and as an INCLUSIVE OR gate with respect to directing videooutput. Thus, any video input can be placed on any or all of the outputlines. The operation of the routing circuit 132 is, as noted above,under the control of the controller 22. The circuitry in effect places avideo input signal (including time code information if needed) on theoutput line or lines as desired for specified operation.

5. Video Tape Recorder Interface Operation

As noted, a video tape recorder interface is associated with each videotape recorder. This is, in essence, a smart terminal. Referring now toFIG. 8, a typical video tape recorder, for example recorder 14, and itsassociated interface 24 are shown in greater detail. Each video taperecorder has a video input line 280, a video output line 282, aplurality of status output lines 284, a plurality of controlling inputlines 286, a power output line 288, and a clocked input line 290. Thecommercially available video tape recorder has circuitry for enablingthe output of the video tape recorder to be RF modulated for display ona standard television channel. This is not necessary according to thepreferred embodiment of the invention wherein the video displays neednot be provided with the RF modulator output required for typicalbroadcast television. Therefore, according to the preferred embodimentof the invention, the RF output section of the video tape recorder isdisabled and an interface "card" as described below, is mounted on therecorder.

The VTR interface 24, which is identical to all other video taperecorder interfaces employed, has a microprocessor control element 300which receives digital instructions from controller 22 through aninput/output network 302. This provides a distributed processingstructure and allows the controller 22 to act more as a remote managerover what can be multiple simultaneously occurring operations.Associated with the microprocessor are a read-only memory 304 and arandom-access memory 306. Processor 300 is a Z80 device manufactured byZilog. The processor 300 receives status data input from the video taperecorder through a time code reader 308 and a VTR status decoder 310.VTR status decoder 310 further includes a VTR control circuitry 312which enables the microprocessor 300 to control the operation of thevideo tape recorder. The microprocessor also has access to the systemclock through a system clock counter 314. The system clock counterreceives an input from the system clock generator 140 over a line 316.

In operation, the microprocessor control 300 receives operatinginstructions from the controller 22. The operating instructions include,for example, a tape start location, a tape start time, and a tape endlocation for the video tape recorder. The microprocessor controlpositions the video tape recorder in response with these operatinginstructions. The location of the video tape is indicated by the outputof the time code reader, which uniquely identifies each frame on thetape. Operation of the video tape recorder can then take place inaccordance with the system clock available through clock counter 314.When required, data can be written onto tape, under control of themicroprocessor 300, and can include the clock input for providing thetime code information.

According the preferred embodiment of the invention, one VTR interfacewrites an internal time code designation in addition to the SMPTE timecode which is normally associated with each video frame when it isoriginally generated. Thus, as source material is being recorded on aplurality of VTR's. one interface for example, interface 24 associatedwith VTR 14, writes an internal part time code in association with eachframe. The internal time code is sequential and the now modified videobeing recorded on VTR 14 is also directed by controller 22 to all of theother recording VTR's through video routing circuits 134 and 132. Thus,VTR recording is synchronized so that a frame has associated therewithand an internal time code designation which is the same on allrecordings.

Further, the internal time codes are recorded sequentially on the videotape and provide an easy procedure for accounting for time durations inresponse to commands which controller 22 generates. Thus, for example,there are always eight frames between frames "one" and "ten". (Thesource material comes from different sources and is often prepared asdifferent times. Hence, inevitably there are gaps in the sequence ofsource generated time circles when the different sources generatedmaterials are sequentially recorded on one tape.) Further operation ofthe video tape recorder is in a standard manner as is well known tothose skilled in the art.

If, on the other hand, the random access storage means 15, rather thanthe serial storage means 13, is used to store the input video frames,the input frames are digitized and compressed for transfer onto aWinchester hard disk or a Laser read/write disk, for example, and whenthe video frames are later retrieved they are appropriately decompressedfor display.

6. General Operation of the Apparatus

In operation, the illustrated composing apparatus is controlled solelyform the control console and in particular from the control panel 70 bythe control wheels 74, 76, control keys 78, 79, . . . , 99, and controllevers 100, 101, 102, 103, (see FIGS. 3 and 3A). The two control wheels74, 76 are hand operated, rotary controls which allow the manipulationand selection, for example of earlier or later pictorial labels in thesort mode of operation, by counterclockwise (for later) and clockwise(for earlier) rotational movement respectively. These wheels can alsoeffect change of the beginning and end of a segment (the trim mode ofoperation) or the beginning and end of a transition between segments(the splice mode of operation). Thus the wheels 74, 76 in theillustrated embodiment are active during the sort (wheel 74 only), trim,and splice modes.

The wheels can be constructed of, for example, wheels, three inches indiameter and three-quarters of an inch high and preferably have afinger-sized indentation 320, 322, on their upper surface. The preferredwheels have thirty detent positions for each complete revolution andprovide a signal through interface 120 to controller 22 for each detentmovement. The interpretation of one detent of movement depends upon theoperating mode. For example, in either the trim mode or the splice mode,each wheel operates to aide in editing the segment represented by aselected active pictorial label, and one detent of movement correspondsto one frame of video. In the sort mode, however, a movement of onedetent position corresponds to the shift of all label pairs one positionto the fight or left on the passive displays.

As outlined above, the composing apparatus 10 operates in a number ofoperating modes. Entry of the apparatus into and out of the variousoperating modes is the function of control keys 78, 83, and 89. Each keyoperates a mechanical switch which signals through interface 120 tocontroller 22. Control key 83 places the apparatus in the sort orcomposition mode. Depressing this key, to enter the sort mode, allowsthe operator to thereafter move and manipulate the label pairs appearingon displays 42, 44, . . . , 68. Thereby, the segments represented by thelabel pairs can be pulled and inserted, deleted, arbitrarily inserted invarious positions, etc.

After an operator has organized the sequence of segments into a desiredorder, depressing the trim key 78 places the composition apparatus inthe trim mode of operation. In this mode of operation, the beginning andend of a segment can be changed, to thereby shorten or lengthen theframe sequence, under the control of, and by rotational movement of, thecontrol wheels 74 (beginning) and 76 (end). The segment however is notactually "trimmed" until both accept key 88 and accept key 99 aresimultaneously depressed. In the trim mode, the labels identifying thebeginning and end of the selected segment are displayed on screens 34and 35 respectively. Simultaneously, the selected segment appears in acontinuous loop fashion (with a "break" between the end of the segmentand the beginning of the next display of the segment as described morefully below) on the main screen 32. As the beginning and end of thesegment are adjusted respectively by rotating control wheels 74 and 75,the resulting changes in the segment composition are substantiallyinstantaneously reflected on screens 34 (which displays the first frameof the segment) and 35 (which displays the last frame of the segment).By rotating the wheel 74 or wheel 76 back and forth, there appears inthe corresponding display 34 or 35 the "action" portrayed at thebeginning or end of the segment. By carefully controlling the rockingmotion of the control wheel, the operator can accurately "zero in" onthe exact frame at which the segment is to either begin or end. Thistechnique, designated "action scrolling", enables precise decisions tobe made with regard to the beginning and end of the segment.

It is further important to recognize that a single 360° rotation of thecontrol wheel corresponds to thirty detent positions in the preferredembodiment and hence equals thirty frames or one second of video in thetrim and splice modes of operation. It is therefore convenient for theoperator, without reference to actual time measurement or time codesignals, to accurately adjust the duration of the video segment. Inaddition, however, to further aid the operator, the apparatus providesduring the sort and trim modes of operation, on screen 40, and the timeduration of the segment being edited. The time duration for the segmentdefined by the label pair on screens 34 and 36 is generated by thecontroller 22.

Once the operator is satisfied with and finalizes the length of thesegments, the splice between successive segments can be changed, ifdesired, from the abrupt cut, i.e., the default option, which typicallyoccurs between segments. Depressing key 89 places the apparatus in thesplice mode of operation. In this mode of operation four differentsplices can be achieved: key 90 provides for a dissolve, key 91 for awipe, key 92 for a soft cut, and key 93 for an "ordinary" cut (thedefault option).

As noted above, the illustrated control console includes two pairs oflevers 100 and 101, and 102 and 103. One pair is adjacent each controlwheel for convenient lever operation with the hand still in contact withthat wheel. All of the levers have seven positions in the preferredembodiment, although, it may be desirable in other embodiments of theinvention to provide for more or fewer discrete positions or for acontinuous adjustment or movement for one or more of the levers. Lever100 controls the position of a cursor: the cursor has an upper and alower component for denoting a label pair on the passive displays. Thecursor position corresponds to the illuminated ones of illuminationelements 324 which appear (in FIG. 3) above the top row of passivedisplays and below the bottom row of passive displays 42, 44, . . . ,68. Each passive display thus has associated therewith a cursorillumination element 324. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, the cursoror element 324 is displayed within or adjacent to a screen of thesegmented screen of monitor 31. The elements 324 thus indicate thelocation of the upper and lower components of the cursor. Movement oflever 100 generally causes the cursor components to move together from,for example, the display screen pair 50, 52 to the display screen pair54, 56. The display screen pair selected by the cursor is that displaypair which, in the sort and trim modes, designates the segment to be"looped" on main screen 32 and which designates the labels to bedisplayed in screens 34 and 36. In the splice mode however, the uppercursor component is not above the lower cursor component. Rather, theupper component is offset by one position to the right, and the cursorbottom component thereby indicates the ending label of the first segmentand the top component indicates the beginning label of a second segment.There are in addition other embodiments of the invention, as will bediscussed below, wherein the cursor control and position vary further.

Lever 101 controls the speed of a splice. As noted above, lever 101, inthe first embodiment, is a seven position switch and provides splicespeed as a discrete operating parameter. In other embodiments of theinvention it may be desirable to provide a continuous splice speedvariation. It is important to note also that the speed of the splice canbe varied during the transition itself by movement of lever 101 as thesplice proceeds.

Lever 102 controls the bin (or level) from which the labels displayed onthe passive display screens are selected. As noted above, there are, inthe preferred embodiment, seven different bins (or levels). Movement oflever 102 provides a substantially instantaneous change of bin (orlevel). Movement of the lever to the right, corresponds to movement to ahigher bin (or level). Movement of lever 102 to the left, corresponds tomovement to a lower bin (or level).

Level 103, in the preferred embodiment, controls the manner of selectingand recording source audio information during the composing process.

Particular Operation of the Apparatus

1. Input Mode

Prior to editing any source material, that source material must beproperly input to the composing apparatus. The source material can be,for example, an existing video tape or live video material receiveddirectly from a video camera. In either instance, referring to FIG. 7,the source material is routed, by video routing circuitry 132, to atleast two or more of the video tape recorders and/or the random accessstorage means 15. The primary goal of the video tape recorder storage isto make each segment of the video source material available on at leasttwo separate recorders and preferably ten or more. This allows accesstimes comparable to those obtainable with optical disk media and, asdescribed below, facilitates the display of the segments during thevarious edit functions. As a result, in the preferred embodiment, if theamount of source material has a total running time of less than four andone-half hours (a standard VTR tape cartridge), the source material isduplicated on each and every video tape recorder in the system. Thissimplifies the input operation and decreases the apparatus response whenplaying a sequence of segments in real time. Where the random accessstorage means is utilized, it is possible to use only one or twoWinchester hard disks or Laser read/write (optical) disks.

The controller 22 controls the routing of the source material throughrouting circuitry 132. It also controls, in response to controlinformation input through the keyboard 104, the method in which thesource material is segmented and in which label pairs are generatedtherefrom. Thus, as noted above, a label can be automatically generatedfor each input video frame or the source material can be automaticallymarked for subdivision at the period interval, for example every second,specified by the editor. Alternatively, as note above, the editor canspecify the interval marking as the incoming source material is beingreceived. In the latter instance, the controller 22, in response toactivation of the mark key, subdivides the incoming material.

In either instance, during the receipt of source material, theillustrated controller 22 collects the label paris for each segmentbeing recorded. For each segment, the controller 22 generates an "IMAGE"or image pair which includes digitized snapshot of the frames, typicallyone label for each frame, or at least labels for the first and lastframes of the segment, which are employed as the label pair for thesegment. Further this IMAGE or image pair includes the precise locationof the segment both in the external medium used for input (if theexternal medium is tape) and in the apparatus video tape recorders. TheIMAGES are stored on magnetic disk for later retrieval as required fordisplay and generation of the storyboard.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the apparatuscollects two frames for each segment in the automatic segmentation modeof operation. In other embodiments, however, since the segments arecontinuous, the apparatus can sample only one frame per segment and thatframe becomes the end label of one label pair and the beginning label ofthe next sequential label pair in the source bin.

The segments of the video source material, once they are input to theapparatus and the IMAGES formed therefrom, are represented as PAIR'S ofIMAGES. The controller 22 orders the PAIRS into a list as they arecreated during the input process. This original list, corresponding tothe source bin, contains, for each PAIR, the physical time codeaddresses (both the source time code and the internally generated systemtime code) of its component IMAGES, the addresses which indicate theprevious and next PAIRS within the storage list, and informationregarding the edit transition to the next PAIR in the sequence. All ofthis data is required to completely describe a sequence of segments.This becomes important as the editing progresses and the initialordering of the source material is changed.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 7, as noted above, controller 22 directs theinput video source material through a routing circuitry 132 to the videotape recorders or to the random access storage means 15. In addition,the controller 22 directs the video to routing circuitry 130 fordelivery to the video digitizer 110 over line 143. As noted above, thevideo digitizer 110 operates at a high enough conversion rate to grab asuccession of frames on-the-fly. Consequently, the controller 22operates the system to digitize the first and the last frame of eachsegment and to provide that digital data for storage on disk unit 146.Preferably, each inputted frame is digitized and compressed for storage.Additionally, controller 22 provides the disk storage with the necessarylocation and sequencing data outlined above.

Referring now to the input mode flow chart of FIG. 10, the input of datais specified at 340. The operator then selects either automatic ormanual shot (segment) selection at 342 and thereafter the source device,for example, a video tape recorder, is initiated and the apparatus videotape recorders 14, 16, 18, . . . 20 and/or the random access storagemeans 15 begin recording at 344. Once source material begins to bereceived, at 346, the controller 22 allocates storage for an empty"PAIR" at 348. The apparatus then grabs an "IMAGE" on-the-fly and storesthe image at 350. The first IMAGE of a pair is stored as the startingframe of the new PAIR at 352. A second IMAGE is then obtained at 354 andthis IMAGE is stored as the ending frame of the new PAIR at 356. The nowformed new PAIR is added to the end of the previously stored PAIR's inthe source bin at 358. The sequence returns to the decision at 346 andthe next segment of source material is generated and processed. Whenthere is no additional source material, the system proceeds to stop therecording video tape recorder(s) at 360 and then enters (or continuesin) the sort mode of operation at 362. The operation of obtaining andstoring an IMAGE (at 350 or 354) requires, at 369, a signal indicating amanual or automatic designation of the segment. Each designation of asegment, for all but the first and last segments, causes two frames tobe digitized, a first digitized frame, representing the ending IMAGE ofa segment and a second digitized frame representing the beginning IMAGEof a next segment. The frame is digitized and stored temporarily in thedigitizer at 370. An IMAGE is allocated to an empty image storagelocation at 372 and the actual storage of the digitized frame, and itsassociated time codes, at that allocated location for the IMAGE occursat 374. The IMAGE then is written onto hard disk at 376.

If, on the other hand, images are to be automatically generated for allinput video frames, the controller operation is simpler than that shownin FIG. 10, since storage space is allocated on a single image basis(rather than the basis of image pairs), and similarly images are storedon single image basis. Automatic generation of labels for all incomingvideo frames is a preferred aspect of the invention because itsignificantly facilitates, and significantly increases the speed ofexecuting, subsequent procedures of the video composition methodaccording to the invention. Particularly, where labels have been createdand stored for each video frame, currently available storage technologymakes it possible to call up any desired label(s), already in anappropriately digitized form, within a fraction of a second.

Conversely, if labels are initially generated for only select ones ofthe incoming video frames (e.g., every thirtieth frame) the apparatuswill necessarily pause whenever a user's edit decision creates orchanges a segment's reference points to allow for digitizing a new setof labels. Also, if labels are initially generated for only select videoframes, the trim and splice functions will require a longer pause toallow digitization of every frame of the smaller segment of interest.

2. The Sort Mode of Operation

The sort mode of operation is the mode to which the system defaults.Referring to FIG. 11A, the sort mode of operation is typically enteredfrom the input mode by pressing the son key 83. This is indicated at550. In the sort mode, the controller 22 monitors the control panel, at552, to determine whether a key has been depressed, a lever has beenchanged, or a control wheel has been rotated. If any of these eventsoccur, the controller 22 continues through a "checklist" to determinewhat has been activated at the control panel and to take an appropriateaction. If the status of the control panel has not changed, thecontroller 22 performs (at 554) the other ministerial bookkeeping dutieswhich occur during the sort mode of operation (such as control of theVTR's) and returns again to check the status of the control panel.

An important feature of the sort mode of operation is the capability ofmoving and controlling the location of the cursor whose location isdesignated by the cursor position indicating LED's 324. As noted above,the position of the cursor is controlled by the cursor position lever100. During normal operation in the sort mode, referring to FIG. 11A,the controller 22 typically monitors the status of the control lever100. This is indicated at 556. If the control lever 100 moves to a newposition, the sort mode of operation enters a cursor movement controlprocedure (at 558) as detailed beginning at 670 of FIG. 11B. If thecursor is at the extreme edge of the display screens (at 671), and thedirected movement is to a position beyond that edge, as indicated atdecision block 672, the apparatus does nothing and returns to its normalmonitoring condition as indicated at 674. Otherwise, the apparatus movesthe active cursors to the position indicated by lever 100. This isindicated at 676. Typically, the control apparatus operates quicklyenough so that lever 100 can move only one position for one cycle of themonitoring system.

If, prior to a left cursor movement, the cursors are pointing to thefirst pair in a particular bin, that first pair is "dragged" along withthe cursor when the cursor moves to the left. Thus, at 678, theapparatus determines if the cursor is at the first label pair of the binduring a left shift, and if so, the apparatus shifts the pair to theleft as the cursor move to the left, thereby moving all of the labeldisplays to the left one screen position at a time. This is indicated at680. Similarly, if the current label pair is the last pair in the binand if the cursor is being moved to the right, at 682, the apparatusagain "drags" the label display with it as the cursor moves to theright. This is indicated at 684. If neither of the conditions at 678 and682 are satisfied, the new label pair designated by the cursor becomesthe "current pair", at 686, and the apparatus returns at 688 to thenormal monitoring mode.

Another important operational function in the sort mode is movement ofthe label pairs to the left and right (scrolling) on the passive displayscreens 42, 44, 46, . . . 68. This monitoring step is indicated at 560in FIG. 11A. The right hand control wheel 74 controls the incrementalposition of the contiguous sequence of pictorial label pairs displayed,under the control of the controller 22, on the passive display screens.Counterclockwise movement of the wheel 74 increments the picture labelpairs to the left. As the label pairs increment to the left, eachspatial position, for example central screens 54 and 56, representssuccessive, subsequent pictorial labels. Clockwise movement of the wheelincrements the picture label pairs to the right wherein each verticalscreen pair will represent successive prior pictorial labels. One wheeldetent represents one increment of movement for one pair of verticallyrelated pictorial labels (the label pair).

Referring to FIG. 11C, the controller 22, when in the sort mode ofoperation, checks the status of the control wheel 74 (at 560, FIG. 11A)in connection with the scrolling operation of the label pairs across thepassive display screens. If scrolling is indicated, the next step at 602(FIG. 11C) is to determine whether scrolling is to the left or to theright. Depending upon the outcome of this determination, the next orprevious pair of the current label pair list for the bin becomes thecurrent label pair and labels of the display are updated by shifting tothe left or to the right by one position. This is indicated at 604, 605and 606, 607. Thereafter, the controller 22 determines, at 608, if theapparatus is in a "split" cursor mode, as described hereinafter, inwhich case the cursor indicating element that marks the beginning labelis updated. The apparatus then returns to the monitoring procedure ofFIG. 11A employed with the sort mode of operation.

In the sort mode of operation, the active control panel keys (FIGS. 3and 9) are the pull key 79, the discard key 80, and the return key 81,the home key 82, the insert key 84, the replicate key 85, the mark key86, the black key 87, the collapse key 94 and the split key 98. Thesekeys generally act upon the pictorial labels designated by the cursorand hence indirectly upon the segment or segments to which thedesignated labels relate. The physical positions, length, etc., of thesegments on the video tape or other storage means however do not change.In the sort mode of operation, the label pairs and at least symbolicallythe segments to which they relate, can be discarded, moved, marked, andotherwise manipulated into a sequence, designated by the operator, toproperly represent a desired program sequence.

For example, assume that the cursor position designated by lever 100points to the central passive display screens 54 and 56. Initially, thelabel displayed on screen 56 will appear on screen 36. The segmentdesignated by that label pair will continuously loop on active mainscreen 32 if the apparatus is operating at a program bin level. If newvideo source material is being read into and stored on the VTR's withautomatic sampling, the apparatus can still enter the sort mode ofoperation. Upon pressing the sort key, the operator has the capabilityof manipulating the label pairs already in the source bin as describedin detail hereinafter. The operator will not however be able to see adisplay of the segment on the active display screen 32 as is typicalduring the sort mode of operation. Thus, this procedure advantageouslyallows sorting operation to proceed at the source bin level while inputmaterial is being recorded on the VTR's or other storage means.(Clearly, the VTR's cannot simultaneously record input material and atthe same time provide video for a continuous loop display on screen 32.)

Further assume, however, that a segment is to be removed (pulled) fromits present position of the program sequence. This pull and insertprocedure can be effected as follows. Assume that the apparatus isoperating at a program bin level, and it is desired to move the segmentidentified by the labels appearing on screens 62 and 64 to a positionbetween the segments identified by the label pairs on screens 44, 48,and 50, 52. There are a number of different procedures available to theoperator/editor. One method for accomplishing this task is (a) toposition the cursor, using lever 100, above and below screens 62 and 64,(b) depress the pull key 79, thereby removing the label pair originallyon screens 62, 64 into the select bin (later occurring label pairs moveone increment to the left), (c) move the cursor to a position above andbelow screens 50 and 52, and (d) depress the insert key 84. Theoriginally pulled label pair is inserted into the sequence and appearson screens 50, 52. The label pairs appearing on screens 50, 52, 54 . . ., 68 increment one spatial position to the right (the labels on screens66, 68 thus disappear from view).

The effect of pressing the pull key is thus to remove the label pair onthe screens selected by the cursor from the then existing sequence andplace it in the select bin. Depressing the pull key in the illustratedexample, thus deletes the label pair originally displayed on screens 62,64 and moves the label pair originally on screens 66 and 68 to screens62 and 64, respectively. The next, later occurring sequential labelpair, then appears on screens 66 and 68.

Referring now to FIG. 11D, the pull operation outlined above begins at660. The pull operation at 660 is entered in one of two ways, namely, bydepressing either the pull key or the mark key. If it is the mark key 86which initiates operation, a decision, at 662, directs the controller 22to save the marked location at 664 and return to the monitoring decisionlist at 552 of the sort mode of operation. If, however, the pull keyinitiated the pull operation, the apparatus proceeds to excise thecurrent pair from the bin, at 666, and to store it in the select bin at668. (If the discard key had been pressed, the pair would have beeninserted into the discard bin instead of the select bin). Thereafter,the label display is updated and the cursor indicating elements, if agroup operation had been performed, are changed. This is indicated at670. The apparatus then returns to the monitor mode of operation.

Depressing the insert key (see FIG. 11E) has the effect of placing themost recently "pulled" label pair, presently available in the selectbin, at the position indicated by the cursor and moving all succeedinglabel pairs, including the one originally displayed at the positionidentified by the cursor, to the right (later in time) one position.

As an alternative procedure, instead on moving the cursor from screens62, 64 to screens 50, 52, the control wheel 74 could be employed, afterthe pull key has been depressed, to move a selected label pair to thelocation of the cursor. That is, rotating the control wheel 74 threedetent positions in the clockwise direction, has the effect of movingthe label pair originally appearing on screens 50 and 52 to screens 62and 64. Thereafter depressing the insert key inserts the previously"pulled" label pair at the required sequential position of the videosequence.

The apparatus, by employing the mark and return keys 86 and 81respectively, can automate somewhat the more laborious sequence notedabove. Thus, in the example outlined, the cursor is positioned atscreens 50 and 52 and the mark key 86 is depressed. The cursor is thenmoved and aligned with the labels originally on screens 62 and 64 andthe pull key is depressed. The return key is now depressed and thecursor moves, under control on the controller 22, back to the originallymarked labels, to passive screens 50, 52, in the example. Thereafter,with the cursors aligned with the labels at which the insertion is to bemade, the insert key 84 is depressed.

As noted above, in the preferred embodiment, the apparatus has a"select" bin which operates in a last in, first out (LIFO) mode. Theselect bin has an essentially unlimited capacity. In fact the select bincapacity is limited by the memory capacity of the system, which is verylarge. Thus, the cursors can be aligned with a plurality of differentlabel pairs and the segments associated with the label pairs "pulled" ina selected sequence. The pull is made each time by depressing the pullkey. The effect of repeatedly pressing the pull key (without"inserting") is to successively store, in the select bin, a desiredsequence of label pairs for later recall.

After the selected shots have been thus "pulled" and stored, the cursoris aligned at the position wherein the insert is to be made and theinsert key is depressed, for example a number of times equal to thenumber of "pulls" which have been collected. Each depression of theinsert key inserts, at the position designated by the cursor, the next"last" collected label pair still in the select bin. Thus, if eightsegments had been collected by depressing the pull key eight times at,for example, different positions in the video sequence, the eightcollected segments can be inserted into the sequence at any selectedposition(s) by thereafter depressing the insert key eight times. Becausethe select bin acts like a LIFO buffer, the effect is to recall andinset the segments so that they appear, at the end of the insertoperation (and assuming that the cursor is not moved), in the samesequential order in which they were pulled. This multiple pullcollection system can be employed in combination with the mark andreturn keys noted above, and further can be used in connection with ahome key 82 to insert all of the pulled segments at the beginning of thevideo sequence for a program bin. Depressing the home key, after thelabel pair(s) has (have) been pulled, automatically aligns the cursorwith the label pair representing the first segment of the program binsequence. The sequence of operation is thus "pull", "home", and"insert". Note that the mark key is not needed.

Thus far, it has been implicitly assumed that the pull and insertoperation occurs solely within one bin and that the various binsfunction in an equivalent manner. It is appropriate at this point, todiscuss further the characteristics of the several classes of bins andhow the pull and insert procedure operates differently depending uponthe class of the bin. The pull and insert operation can be carried out,as described above, within any of the program bins. The operationhowever cannot be employed in the select bin which operates solelyaccording to a last in, first out stacking procedure. In the select bin,the characteristic connected sequence of related label pairs, which istypical of the source bin and the program bins, is not present. Theselect bin, which can be likened to an infinite LIFO storage register,therefore does not permit the pull and insert operation.

Furthermore, the pull and insert operation cannot be employed solelywithin either the source bin or the discard bin. However, material ineither the source bin, the discard bin, or any of the program bin by"inserting". Thus, in its broadest concept, a label pair can be pulledfrom any program bin, or from the source or discard bins, which resultsin the pulled label pair being stored in the select bin, and inserted,at any desired location in any program bin. The operator moves a"pulled" label pair to a different program bin by operation of lever102. After placing the cursor at a specified location in the new programbin, for example by depressing the return key to automatically move thecursor to a previously marked location, the insert key is thendepressed, and the "last-in" label pair inserted into the select bin isthereby removed from the select bin and inserted at the location markedby the cursor.

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11E, when the insert key is depressed,controller 22 begins an "insert operation" at 640. The controller, asnoted above, retrieves the last added pair (or pair group) from theselect bin at 642 and inserts that pair (or pairs) in front of thecurrent pair, that is, sequentially ahead of the label pair at which theapparatus is presently positioned as indicated by the cursor. This isindicated at 644. Thereafter, the label displays are updated at 646 andthe just inserted label pair is made the current pair for the labels.Thus, placing a label pair in front of a current pair has the effect ofmaking the current pair occur later in time than the inserted labelpair.

The illustrated source and discard bins do not allow the pull and insertoperation to occur solely within the one bin, and the apparatus"defaults" to a different mode of operation for these bin levels ofoperation. Considering first the source bin, the source bin stores labelpairs corresponding to the source video material which has been dividedeither by machine or by operator into a sequence of segments. Since, inaccordance with the preferred embodiment, it is not permissible to pulland insert within the source bin, the operator has two bin relatedoptions. The first option allows the operator to designate, through thekeyboard 104, a program bin into which pulled label pairs from thesource bin are to be inserted. In accordance with this aspect of theapparatus, there is no need to "pull" and "insert"; rather, the labelpairs are automatically transferred from the source bin into adesignated program bin location when the "insert" key is actuated. Inparticular, the segments will be inserted in the specified program binat a specifically marked position, previously designated by the editor.Alternately, as a second option, if no program bin is designated, theapparatus defaults to a predetermined program bin into which pulledsource bin label pairs are automatically placed at the "home" position.

The discard bin operates in a manner substantially identical to thesource bin. The pull and insert procedure cannot be followed within thediscard bin itself; and therefore, the apparatus either inserts "pulled"label pairs from the discard bin at a marked location in a specifiedprogram bin, or the label pairs are placed at a machine-determineddefault option location in a system specified one of the program bins.

The sort mode has a further powerful grouping capability which allowsseveral segments to be treated as one segment. For example, severalsegments can be grouped or collapsed into a single segment in a singleoperation. This operation, "segment grouping", is effected by depressingcollapse key 94 and the left accept key 99 for fixing the top cursor,thereafter moving the bottom cursor to the right (note that this is theonly direction in which the bottom cursor can be moved) using cursorposition lever 100. After the bottom cursor is fixed at the desiredposition, the right accept key 88 is depressed. The result is tocollapse into one label pair a plurality of sequential label pairs, thatis, to describe a plurality of segments together as a single segment.The top cursor identifies the top (beginning) label of the new labelpair and the bottom cursor identifies the bottom (ending) label of thenew label pair. Thereafter, the group of segments is treated as a singlesegment and is represented by a single label pair.

Segment grouping can only be accomplished if the segments to becollapsed occur sequentially (i.e., are contiguous) in the originalsource material if only the serial storage VTR's 13 are used for storingincoming video frames. This limitation, which is in part a direct resultof the method used for describing a segment, that is, using a pointerfrom the present segment to both the previous segment and the nextsegment, limits the power of the operation in this implementation. Onthe other hand, if the serial access storage means 15 is utilized tostore the incoming video frames, the ability to recall digitizedsegments in real time, and in substantially arbitrary order, is not onlyquite possible, but is relatively easy to implement. For example, aninternal bookkeeping system can be established to maintain a list ofpointers for segments within a segment. Thus, the above limitation ofserial storage is eliminated.

The concept of segment grouping can be further described in connectionwith the operation of controller 22, with reference to the flow chart ofFIG. 11F. Segment grouping can be achieved, as noted above, by firstpressing the collapse key 94 and the accept key 99. When this occurs,the apparatus enters the collapse portion of its operation at 620 andfirst determines whether the accept key has been previously depressed(in which case the starting label pair for the new grouping, would havebeen previously marked). When the accept key has not been previouslypressed by the editor, referring to the decision block 622, the currentlabel pair is denoted as the beginning pair of a new group, (at 624),and the apparatus returns to the normal monitoring mode of operation.When the collapse function 620 is entered after the right accept key 88has been depressed, that is, as noted above, after the bottom cursor hasbeen moved to identify the ending label pair of the newly definedsegment, the controller 22 follows the decision path to the operationsindicated at 624. Thus, the first label of the first pair of the groupis designated as the starting label for a new collapsed segment; and theending label of the first segment is changed to the ending label for thelast label pair of the collapsed group. Thereafter, at 626, all otherpairs in the group, that is all pairs except the current pair, aredeleted. The label display and the displayed segment loop are thentipdated, at 628; and the controller returns to the normal monitoringmode of operation.

More generally, the grouping capability can be extended to alloperations. The grouping function is initiated by pressing accept key 99and the desired function key simultaneously. This defines the beginninglabel pair of the group. The bottom cursor then blinks and, as notedabove, can be moved by the cursor lever 100 while the top cursor stayspositioned above the selected beginning label pair so long as thatbeginning label pair remains on the passive display screens. Using thecontrol wheels, the selected beginning of the new segment can bescrolled off the display screens, in which case a top cursor indicatoris not longer lit. Thereafter, the accept key 88, in conjunction with afunction key, defines the entire operation to be performed on a group ofsegments. For example, the accept keys can be employed in conjunctionwith the mark key to define a display loop which includes all or part ofa program bin.

Once the desired program sequence, or a portion thereof, has beenedited, the sort mode has a further powerful capability for reviewing apart or all of the edited program, quickly and prior to the timeconsuming practice of on-line conformation. Thus, if for example, aprogram must be further shortened or lengthened, appropriate sequencesfor reediting can be identified quickly within the context of thesurrounding program material. The identified segments can then bereedited using the trim or splice modes without requiring the secondconfirmation as is the current practice.

This review operation is effected by first placing the cursor at thelabel pair associated with the first segment in the sequence to beviewed, and then fixing it in position by pressing the accept key 99together with the sort key 83. The bottom cursor component originallyassociated with the ending label of the first label pair is then movedfrom a position juxtaposed to the ending label of the label pairassociated with the ending segment. The control wheel 74 and/or thecursor positioning lever 100 operate to move the cursor bottom componentand the cursor is fixed in position at the indicating element associatedwith the ending label of the ending segment label pair by again pressingthe accept key 88 together with the sort key 83. The program materialreferenced by all label pairs located between the two cursors will nowbe displayed on the main monitor screen 32 in a continuous loopingfashion until interrupted by pressing the sort key 83.

In accordance with this aspect of the sort mode, the controller 22determines a sequence in which the VTR's and/or the random accessstorage means 15 are to present the continuous loop display of thesegments identified as described above. The controller thereafter issuesthe necessary commands to the VTR interfaces or to the storage means 15describing the time at which a VTR or other storage means is to operate,the position on the storage medium at which operation is to take place.In this manner, the controller 22 creates what is in effect a timesequenced list of commands which determine how the grouped segments willbe displayed on screen 32.

The apparatus has further sort mode capabilities for enabling easy andconvenient editing of the source material. Thus, the split key 98 causesa segment represented by an identified single label pair, the label pairbeing the one denoted by the cursors, to be split into halves, orquarters, etc., by pressing the split key one or more times.

The sort mode employs the replicate key 85 to reproduce a label pair,and in effect the corresponding segments, without removing the originallabel pair, and in effect the corresponding segments, without removingthe original label pair from its current location in, for example, aprogram bin. Thus, depressing the replicate key causes the controller 22to reproduce the selected location and position of the label pair PAIRin the bin in which it is presently positioned.

The discard key, operating in the sort mode, moves a label pair (andhence effectively the segment to which it refers) from a presentlocation to a designated position in the discard bin.

The apparatus further has the capability of inserting black video, of apredetermined length, at a selected position in the video sequence ofany program bin. The black video is inserted at the position indicatedby the cursor, positioned by lever 100. Depressing black video key 87implements this operation. In the preferred embodiment, a preselectedblack segment having a length of one second is inserted at the positionindicated by the cursor. Longer segments of black can be built up byrepeatedly depressing key 87. Optionally, black segments of any desiredlength can be defined using the keyboard 104 and monitor 105. The blacksegments are treated like any other segment in the system and can bereduced in time length by operation in the trim mode.

3. The Trim Mode of Operation

With reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 3A-3B in the trim mode, entered bypressing the "trim" key 78, the length of a segment can be shortened orlengthened. The cursor position identifies the segment to be trimmed;and, as noted above, the beginning label of the segment appears onscreen 34 and the ending label appears on screen 36. This display of thesegment loops on the main screen 32. The trim mode can be used inconnection with any program bin and with the select bin.

The left control wheel 76 controls the pictorial display on the intakescreen 34, and the right hand control wheel 74 controls the pictoriallabels used herein are, as noted above, the first and last frames of asegment. Thus, when the control wheels change the duration (eithershorter or longer) of a displayed segment, either at the beginning orend of the segment (or both), the pictorial labels associated with thenewly defined segment automatically appear on screens 34 and 36. Theoriginal label pair, shown on the passive display screen, does notchange. For each wheel 74, 76, counterclockwise rotation causescontiguous frames prior to the then displayed label to appear as a"temporary" pictorial label on the screens 34, 36, respectively, whileclockwise rotation causes contiguous frames subsequent to the thendisplayed label to appear as a "temporary" pictorial label. Each wheeldetent, as noted above, corresponds to one video frame. The centraldisplay 32 provides a continuous loop display of all the frames from the"temporary" intake label on screen 34 to the "temporary" outtakepictorial label on screen 36. When the accept keys 88 and 99 aresimultaneously depressed, the respective "temporary" pictorial labelsare made permanent and the new segment definition is fixed. When thebeginning and ending of the segment has been so accepted, the new labelsdescribing the segment automatically replace, in the spatial array ofpassive display screens, the original labels previously associated withthe segment. These "fixed" labels can be trimmed again if needed.

In the trim mode, when a particularly long segment is being shortened,it is generally desirable to employ a first rough approximation to theshortened segment prior to precisely trimming it. There is provided,therefore, as the segment is being displayed in the trim mode on themain active screen, the capability of marking the beginning and the endof the segment "on-the-fly". The proposed new beginning or intake of thesegment can be flagged by depressing mark key 86 together with the otheraccept key 88. Similarly, the proposed new end or outtake of the segmentcan be flagged by depressing mark key 86 together with the other acceptkey 99. This rough cut procedure automatically designates the markedframes as the temporary labels appearing on screens 34 and 36 and allowsa precise trim to thereafter, and more easily, take place.

The trim mode of operation described above is called the "video-style"of trimming. In addition, there is a second style of trimming, termed"film-style". To enter the film-style of trimming, the operator pressesthe trim key 78 a second time. The trim key can be pressed repeatedly toswitch back and forth between the two styles of presentation.

According to the film-style of trimming, the controller 22 modifies thedisplay presented on the passive display screens and replaces the labelpairs adjacent to the label pair of the segment being trimmed with theframes adjacent the beginning and ending labels. That is, the upper rowof passive display screens 42, 46, 50, . . . 66 display the beginninglabel (at the cursor position) and the frames immediately preceding andimmediately succeeding the beginning label to the left and right of thelabel, respectively. Similarly, the bottom row of passive displayscreens displays the ending label of the segment to be trimmed and theframes immediately preceding and succeeding that ending label. Therotation of control wheels 74 and 76 then varies the upper and lowerpresentations respectively by sliding the respective presentation to theright or left hence moving temporary labels into the selected cursorposition. These temporary labels can be made permanent as describedabove by pressing both accept keys 88 and 99.

Initially, there will be described a trim operation where the serialstorage VTRs have been used to store the video input(s). Referring nowto FIG. 12, when the trim key 78 is pressed, the apparatus enters thetrim mode at 800 and controller 22 first moves the various video taperecorders (VTRs) to the initial locations for digitizing frames centeredaround the beginning and ending labels of the PAIR denoting thedisplayed segment. This is performed at 802. Typically, the controller22 positions the video tape recorders at positions approximately sixtyframes ahead of the beginning and ending labels, and then operates theVTR's to digitize and store all frames in the segment. Thereafter, ifthe apparatus is in the film-style display mode, a set, comprisingfourteen of the collected digitized frames centered around the beginningand ending labels, is displayed on the passive display screens asoutlined above. This is indicated at 806. On the other hand, if avideo-style trim is to take place, the collected frames are displayed onthe active monitors as described previously. The operator can thenadjust the beginning and ending labels, as indicated at 808, while thecontroller responds thereto and continues to loop the segment defined bythe cursor on the main display screen. If the current temporary labelsare acceptable, they are stored as new images in the PAIR that was beingtrimmed. This is indicated at 810. If, however, the current temporarylabel is not acceptable, that is, the accept keys have not been pressed,the controller 22 loops back to redo, if required, those temporarylabels. This decision point is indicated at 812. Once the new labels areaccepted, the apparatus automatically returns to the sort mode ofoperation at 814.

On the other hand, where the random access storage means 15 has beenused to store the video input(s) and wherein digitized labels have beeninitially created and stored for each incoming video frame, it is merelyfor the operator to designate a sufficiently large film segment which isthen quickly displayed on the active monitors as discussed above becausethe digitized labels have been performed. The trim operation thencontinues in the video-style trim manner, as also discussed above.

In the film-style presentation, the apparatus advantageously highlightsthe labels as follows. In the upper row of labels, those labels whichrepresent frames to the left of the cursor indicated position are dimmedwhile those labels, including the label at the cursor indicatedposition, which represent frames after, in time, the currently displayedbeginning label, have a brightened display. Thus, the brightened labelsrepresent the beginning of the segment, starting with the beginninglabel frame and including those later frames available for selection asthe beginning label. Similarly, the dimmed labels of the upper passivedisplay row represent frames which occur prior to the present beginninglabel. Correspondingly, in the lower row of passive display screens, thelabels representing frames prior to and including the present endinglabel are brightened and the screens representing frames which occurafter, in time, the present ending label are dimmed. As a result, thepictorial display shows in brightened labels those frames which form thebeginning and ending portions of the looping segment, and shows indimmed labels, those frames which are outside of the looping segment.

4. The Splice Mode of Operation

In the splice mode, entered by depressing the transition key 89,controller 22 displays two segments of video in connected sequence. Thesegments are selected under cursor control, and the cursor position isselected prior to entering the splice mode. Upon entering the splicemode, the cursor automatically splits, the upper cursor component movingone spatial position (or screen) to the right of the bottom cursorcomponent. The two segments associated with the respective label pairsare played in time sequence on the main screen 32 to display the splice.

Where serial storage VTRs are being used, the splice displaypresentation on the main screen requires at least two video taperecorders, one recorder to the "from" segment and the other recorder forthe "to" segment. Thus it is transition between two contiguous labelpairs which is being edited. Screen 32 displays the transition sequencein a continuous loop presentation from the video recordings availablefrom the VTR's. Screens 40 and 34 display the transition label pair,made up from the end label of the label pair of the first transitionsegment, this end label being the first label of the transition labelpair, and the beginning label of the label pair associated with thesecond transition segment, this beginning label being the second labelof the transition label pair.

Screen 32 displays the output of the first VTR before the transitionfollowed by the output of the second VTR after transition. Further, inthe illustrated splice mode, as in the trim and sort modes, a loopinterruption delay, for a "psychological break", is advantageous andcontroller 22 provides the delay before the first segment of thetransition is rerun, that is, before each repeat display of the twosegments.

Some transitions, such as an overlapping fade-out fade-in transition ora wipe, will require an overlap of two successive segments. During theoverlap time, the video effects switcher 136 employs portions of theoutputs of both the first segment VTR and the second segment VTR togenerate the display for screen 32. The default option, in this case,according to the illustrated embodiment, assigns as the first label ofthe transition label pair that frame of the first segment at which the"from" segment ends, and the second label of the transition label pairis that frame of the second segment at which the "from" segment ends,and the second label of the transition label pair is that frame of thesecond segment at which the "to" segment begins. The transition labelpair thus defines the transition point. The control wheels 74, 76control the shifting and marking of the transition labels in the splicemode in a manner corresponding to the trim mode. The acceptance of thenew transition labels is indicated by simultaneously pressing the twoaccept keys.

On the other hand, where the random access storage means 15 is employed,the splice operation may be effected with a single Winchester hard diskor Laser read/write disk in a manner similar to that discussed aboveusing the serial storage VTRs, although it is preferred that a pluralityof the random access storage devices be used for speed.

The initial beginning and end of the transition is automatically presetby the apparatus when the operator/editor depresses one of thetransition selection keys 90, 91, or 92. For example, when the dissolvekey is pressed, the length of the dissolve is determined by thetransition speed lever 101 and can vary between, for example 15 and 105frames, in fifteen frame increments. Preferably, the range of variationcan be changed at the keyboard terminal. Further, the default option ofthe dissolve transition is timed to begin at the first label of thetransition label pair and to proceed for its set length. However, anoperator can alter this default option using the keyboard so that thetransition either ends at the ending transition label or has its lengthsplit equally between the beginning and ending transition labels andabout the transition point.

Similarly, the wipe key causes the transition to be one of sevenpreselected "wipes". The wipes are selected by repeatedly pressing thewiped key while the transition speed lever 101 is at the centerposition. The seven wipes can be selected from among the available SMPTEstandards 0-24 through the keyboard. The length of the transition is setby the transition speed lever. The length of the transition is set bythe transition speed lever. The length can be, for example, 30, 20, or10 frames left to right, or 10, 20, or 30 frames in the reversedirection. The keyboard can be employed for determining the transitionlength.

The soft cut key 92 selects a short dissolve and performs like thedissolve key except that the default speeds are significantly less, forexample 2, 4, 6, . . . 14 frames. Similarly, the cut key causes thetransition to be a cut which can be considered an extreme of a dissolvewherein the dissolve has zero length.

Lever 101 thus provides the operator with the flexibility of controllingtransition speed, even during transition.

In summary, during the splice mode of operation, controller 22 operatesthe routing circuitry 134 (FIGS. 2 and 6) so that displays 40 and 34show the freeze frame pictorial labels representing the temporarytransition label pair currently being viewed. The freeze frame video isavailable to routing circuitry 134 from a VTR operating in the freezeframe mode or, preferably, from either the random access storage means15 or the stored digitized pictures in cache memory. Further, displays38 and 36 can, if desired, display the output of the "first" and"second" segment sources respectively both before and after thetransition point. The outputs displayed on screens 36 and 38 thereforeshow the "from" segment after the transition point and the "to" segmentbefore the transition point.

As noted above, controller 22 provides, in response to the keys 90, 91,92, special transition effects between two segments. The transitionbetween two segments is accordance with the fade-in fade-out, wipe,dissolve, etc. procedures, correspond to those standardly used oncommercial television, and controller 22 provides these effects usingthe video effects switcher 136. In this manner, special transitioneffects can be inserted into the program material by the operatorthrough the console 12.

Referring to FIG. 13, in those situations where serial storage is beingused and wherein digitized labels are initially created for only selectincoming video frames, the controller 22, during the splice mode ofoperation, first queues the video tape recorders for collecting framesimages for digitization, storage, and possible later display. Thus, thevideo tape recorders are initialized at 850 to a location in advance ofthe transition point, for example, about sixty frames in advancethereof, for each segment. Thereafter, the frames adjacent thetransition point for both the "to" and "from" segments are digitized, at852, so that the apparatus has in storage the digitized frames which canform a new transition point preferably, all frames in the segment aredigitized for storage. Preferably, all frames in the segment aredigitized for storage. On the other hand, it is preferred (as discussedabove) that each incoming video frame will have a digitized labelcreated therefor, so that the above operation can be eliminated.Thereafter, controller 22 scans the special effects transition keys 902,as indicated at 854. If one of the keys has been pressed, that selectedtransition is processed by the controller 22 using the special effectsswitcher 136. This is indicated at 856.

The controller 22 next presents the frames for display either in thefilm-style display on the passive display screens or in the video-styledisplay on the active display screens, and in either case, concurrentlyloops the transition on the main display screen 32. This is indicated at858. (As described in connection with the trim mode of operation,repetitive pressing of the splice key causes the controller 22 to switchbetween the video-style presentation and the film-style presentation.)The transition point can be changed, at any time, by using the controlwheels 74, 76 to designate a temporary transition label pair, and hencea temporary transition point. When a temporary new transition point hasbeen accepted, at 860, by pressing the two accept keys, the temporarytransition labels are made permanent, at 862, and the labels are storedand the transition PAIR is updated. The controller then returns to thesort mode of operation at 864. If the temporarily selected labels arenot accepted, the controller 22 continues to loop the system until anacceptable transition sequence is adapted (or the splice mode isotherwise exited). Thus, while not shown in FIG. 13, the editor canleave the splice mode of operation by pressing the trim or sort keys,leaving whatever permanent selections have been made intact, andotherwise defaulting to the conditions under which the splice mode wasentered.

In the splice mode of operation, when the film-style presentation isemployed, the passive display screen has different brightness to betterillustrate the present transition. In particular, in the upper row ofscreens, the pictured frames to the left of the cursor-indicated frameare dim while the cursor-indicated frame and those frames to its rightare bright. Thus, the bright frames indicated those frames which formpart of the transition and which occur at and after the transitionpoint. The dim frames represent those frames occurring prior to thetransition point. Correspondingly, in the lower row of screens, thoseframes occurring to the left of and including the cursor-indicatedtransition label are bright, while those frames occurring to the rightof the cursor-indicated label are dim. Thus, the screens which arebright represent the flow or sequence of frames into and through thetransition point.

System Operation

In typical operation of the preferred embodiment using serial storageVTRs, the apparatus repeatedly displays a single segment in the sortmode as follows. Two video tape recorders, which contain identicalcopies of the segment, are each initially positioned at a location inadvance of the segment. Referring to FIG. 6, data, provided by thecontroller 22 to each video tape recorder associated interface,designates both a start time and a start position, as well as an endingposition, for each recorder. At the earlier start time, which isreferenced to the system clock generator 140, one of the video taperecorders begins to provide video signals to the routing circuitry 134and hence to the video effects switcher 136. Controller 22 directs theselected video to the main display 32. At at time prior to the end ofthe segment being displayed, the second video tape recorder beginsoperation in accordance with timing and position instructions previouslyreceived from the controller 22. At the end of the segment displayprovided by the first tape recorder, the video effects switcher changesthe source of the signal connected to screen 32 from the first taperecorder to the second tape recorder, (both signals being available toit over lines 204, 206), the timing being such that the second taperecorder, already up to speed, just begins the segment to be displayedat the transfer time. Video effects switcher 136 thus switches from thefirst tape recorder, over for example line 204, to display the beginningof the segment coming from the second tape recorder over for exampleline 206. (The timing is changed if a "psychological delay" is insertedbetween successive segments. In that instance, controller 22 varies thetiming to the second tape recorder so that it begins to play just afterthe delay time. A third VTR can be employed by controller 22, and itsoutput selected, during the delay time.) Alternately, the presence of a"psychological delay" between the display of successive repeatingsegments can eliminate the need for the second tape recorder so that asingle tape recorder can be rewound and restarted prior to the end ofthe psychological delay time. In that instance, the apparatus can employone VTR. Note however, if the segment being displayed is relativelylengthy, the rewind time could exceed the allotted psychological delaytime. In this instance, either two tape recorders would be employed orthe psychological delay can be lengthened to allow the VTR sufficientrewind time.

As the second recorder operates and provides video to screen 32, thefirst tape recorder stops and rewinds to a position before the beginningof the segment so that at the end of the segment then being displayedfrom the second tape recorder, the first tape recorder will be ready todisplay the segment again. This sequence of operations can provide acontinuous noninterrupted loop (or as noted above, an interrupted loop)repeating the selected video segment.

Alternatively, where the random access storage means 15 is employed, asingle Winchester hard disk or a single Laser read/write disk can bevery effectively used in place of the two VTR's in the above-describedsystem operation since these random access storage devices are extremelyfast in comparison to the VTRs.

In addition to the display on screen 32, screens 34 and 36 receive,through routing circuitry 134, the pictorial labels associated with thethen current segment. These labels are provided under the control of thecontroller 22, either from other video tape recorders operating in afreeze frame mode, from the display processing unit 112 over lines 202,or from storage such as the cache memory.

The Control Panel

The composing apparatus, whether it operates in the sort, trim, orsplice modes requires substantial hand and eye interaction. Inparticular, the operator/editor must inevitably watch not the handcontrols but the various video screens on monitor 31 in front of him tomake the necessarily precise decisions with respect to sorting thesource material, moving it from bin to bin, trimming it, and effectingtransitions from segment to segment. The control panel thus has aconfiguration to provide significant tactile feedback to the operator sothat, without looking at the manual controls, the operator has a fullunderstanding, gained through use, of where the various keys and leversare located.

Referring now to FIG. 9, which is an enlarged view of the control wheel74 and its associated keys and levers, the key structural configurationhas plural structural subconfigurations for providing positive tactilefeedback which enables the operator to select the proper keys withoutactually looking at them. An upper 400 and a lower 402 exterior regionprovide respectively automatic positioning for the fingers with regardto keys 78, 79, and 84 (upper region 400) and keys 87, 82, and 83 (lowerregion 402). Furthermore, the middle keys, keys 79, 80, 81 and 82 have astructure wherein two keys have a longer lateral reach (keys 79 and 82)and two keys have a shorter lateral reach (keys 80 and 81). These keys,having different lateral reaches, define interior upper 404 and lower406 regions of tactile stimulation which provide positive positioningfeedback with respect to the interior keys in the row, adjacent wheel74. The remaining keys, keys 85 and 86, are automatically referencedwith respect to the known keys surrounding them. As a result, all of theelements of the hand operated composition control panel are locatablewithout visual confirmation.

Note also that keys 78 and 83 have a shorter lateral extent than keys 79and 82 or keys 80 and 81 to provide a yet further positive tactilestimulation feedback regions 408 and 410. In addition, the short lateralextent of keys 80 and 81 enables a space to be developed between controlwheel 74 and keys 80 and 81 to provide a further internal feedbackregion 412.

Another non-visual feedback parameter, as noted above, is the number ofdetent positions specified for a full 360° rotation of control wheel 74(or 76). A complete revolution, thirty detent positions, corresponds toone second of video in the trim and splice modes. This enables theoperator to easily and accurately increase or decrease the length of asegment without looking at the control panel. The relatively isolatedlocation of the accept switches 88 and 99, and of the levers 100, 101,102, and 103 described in detail above, enables an operator to find anduse these manual elements without visual confirmation. Thus, thestructural configuration of the manual controls permits the operator tomaintain visual contact with the video displayed on the screens whiletactile feedback from the manual controls substantially eliminates theneed for visual confirmation.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 14A, an alternate flexible routing structurefeatures a video/audio bus 500 wherein each video signal and each audiosignal is assigned to a distinct transmission path, here a transmissionwire pair. Further, each element requiring a signal from or connectingto the bus 500 makes connection through a routing circuit 502a, 502b, .. . 502s. Each routing circuit in this illustrated embodiment isidentical to each other routing circuit except that each routing circuithas a different address and is hence addressable, directly orindirectly, from, for example, the controller 22. Each routing circuitoperates to connect any line of the bus 500 to an associated operatingstation under the direct or indirect control of controller 22 and toconnect a line of an operating station to its assigned bus line.

Referring now to the video tape recorders 14, 16 18, 20, each video taperecorder connects to a video tape recorder interface and to a routingcircuit. The video tape recorder interface is similar to that interfacedescribed in connection with FIGS. 2, 2A and 8 and is modified therefromto accommodate the routing circuit, that is, to provide control for theassociated routing circuit over the video (and audio) signals connectedbetween the video tape recorder and the routing circuit (FIG. 15).Again, it is understood that the embodiment of FIG. 14, 14A may includea random access storage means 15 rather than or in addition to the VTRs14, 16, 18, 20.

In a substantially similar manner, the video effects switch 136, thevideo input port 276, the video input port 275, the video output port274, the video tape recorder 166, the video input port 270, the videodigitizer 110, the display processing unit 112, and the video displayscreens 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40, each have associated therewith a routingcircuit for making available to the particular operating station any ofthe video signals on bus 500 and making available to the assigned buspaths of bus 500, any video signals emanating from the operatingstation. In addition, there is illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 14A, an audioeffects switch 504. This switch allows the audio signal to follow thevideo signal. The switch can be obtained commercially and operates inresponse to and under control of the controller 22 to modulate andswitch audio signals available from bus 500.

Referring to FIG. 15, a typical modified VTR interface circuit 24',corresponds substantially to the circuit of FIG. 8 with the addition ofa routing control circuit 510. Routing control circuit 510 connects tothe control processor 300 and receives from processor 300 address androuting bus identification signals which are stored in circuitry 510 andare provided to the routing circuit 502a. Circuitry 510 comprises aplurality of latches which store data from control processor 300, thedata including the specific address of the routing circuit 502a and thespecific connections between the VTR inputs and the routing bus 500. Theprocessor 300 receives the instruction data from the controller 22. Thevideo tape recorder receives from the routing circuit a video input overa line 280', and audio inputs over lines 512 and 514. Similarly, thevideo tape recorder provides to the routing circuit, a video output overa line 282' and audio outputs over lines 516 and 518. In other respects,the operation and configuration of interface circuits 24 and 24' are thesame.

Referring now to FIG. 16, each routing circuit 502 has a video section520 and an audio section 522. In the video section, the video, forexample from a VTR over line 282', connects directly to the assigned buspath of the video bus portion of the routing bus. The internalconnection is illustrated by the dashed line 524. Similarly, the audioinputs from, for example, a VTR over lines 516 and 518, connect directlyto assigned lines of the audio bus portion of the routing bus asindicated by dashed internal connection lines 526 and 528, respectively.More or fewer direct internal connections can be employed.

Each section of the routing circuit 502 employs a cross-point switcharray, 530 and 532, for connecting any audio or video line of therouting bus to the inputs of an operating station, such as a VTR videoinput. The cross-point switch arrays 530 and 532 receive control signalsfrom a VTR interface over lines 534. Lines 534 reflect for example theoutputs of the latch element of circuitry 510.

Referring now to FIG. 17, each cross-point circuit array 530, 532,receives the control signals over lines 534. The arrays 530, 532function substantially identically, and only array 530 shall bedescribed in detail. If the address on the control lines matches theaddress present in an address decode and latch circuitry 540, thecircuitry 540 latches and stores the signals input over lines 534. Thosesignals designate the bus line which is to be connected to the outputline(s) of the array, for example to line 542. The output of the addressdecode and latch circuitry 540, over lines 544, represents theinstruction portion of the control data and acts to control an N:1decoding circuit 546. Decoding circuit 546 provides an enabling outputover one of its "N" output lines corresponding to the instruction inputover lines 544.

Each output line of the decoder 546 actuates one of a plurality ofswitch elements 548 to a pass through state. Each switch element 548 isa gate controlled analog switch which in one state (the actuated state)passes the signal on its analog input line and in its other state blocksthat signal. The outputs of the switches 548 have a common connection tothe output line 542 of the array. Thus, a selected one of the bus inputlines can be provided to the output line 542. The operation of circuitry532 is substantially identical to that of circuitry 530 with theexception that two groups of switch elements 548 and two correspondingdecoders 546 are provided, one for each channel of audio being providedto the video tape recorders. Correspondingly, the address decode andlatch circuitry of circuitry 532 can have additional latch registers tostore the data which designate the switch(es) of the switch arrays to beactuated.

With respect to routing elements not connected to one of the VTR's14,16, 18 and 20, a single interface element 268' has therein sufficientoutput capability to address and control each of the remaining routingcircuits. Thus, referring now to FIG. 14, the interface 268' is similarto a modified VTR interface, such as interface 24'; however, itsprocessor 300 is capable of receiving address and instruction datarelating to several routing circuits and of directing that data torouting control circuitry 510 to provide over lines 505 address andinstruction data signals for controlling the routing circuits 502e-502s.The interface 268' thus corresponds to the interface of FIG. 15 exceptthat the circuitry 510 connects no longer to a single cross-pointrouting switch array circuit but to a plurality of them. Similarly, asnoted above, the control processor 300 receives data from the controller22 relating no longer to one routing circuit but to a plurality ofrouting circuits. The output of the circuitry 510 has both address anddata information. The address information addresses a particular routingcircuit 502e-502s; and the addressed routing circuit then latches withinit, using the latches of elements 540, the data which designates theconnection between the bus 500 and the associated operating station.

As noted above, the routing bus 500 has both video and audio channelstherein. The video portion of the channel, designated 500a, and theaudio portion of the channel, designated 500b, together comprise asingle multiwire channel, preferably a two hundred line flat wire buswhich connects to each of the routing circuits 502. Thus, in accordancewith this second embodiment of the routing system, each operatingstation can receive the video and audio available on any one of thechannels of the bus.

Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19, there are shown block diagrams accordingto another preferred embodiment of the invention which includes bothserial (analog) and random access (digital) storage and playbackcapability for video and stereo audio. The CPU 22, graphics display 31,console 12, keyboard. 104, VTRs 14, 16, 18, 20 and random access storagemeans 15 are common to the opertion of both the audio subsystem of FIG.18 and the video subsystem of FIG. 19. The routing buses, as shown,handle the assignment of the both inputs and outputs via the bus pathsacting as assignable modes. Both subsystems have an outermost R5422control bus 500' by which the computer 22 sends commands and receivesstatus from all the external devices within its domain. The next innermost bus on both systems, contains the common clock signal by which allevents are synchronized, similar to the embodiment of FIG. 14. Theremainder of the bus paths are arbitrarily assignable video and audioconnection modes for their respective subsystems.

The video composing method and apparatus described herein provide theuser with great flexibility in manipulating and editing the video sourcematerial. The assembled material can be collected from many sources, inany order, for assembly and editing to form a finished program.Furthermore, after assembling his story, the user can go back andfurther edit the shots and scenes as required. He can resequence scenesand shots, adjust their length, or the transitions therebetween, just ashe had done during a previous composing session. This recompositionprocess can continue with as many iterations as required without anyloss of flexibility until the assembled material is satisfactory.

It is also important to realize that even though one considers theediting process as the editing of the source material, the sourcematerial is typically not disturbed after recording on the composingapparatus VTR's. Instead, it is the label pair representations, and notthe segments, which are moved, changed, etc.; and it is the storage ofthe labels as PAIRS of IMAGES which further provides great flexibilityand power to the apparatus.

Since the composition process always has available unmodified copies ofthe source material as its reference, rather than second or thirdgeneration partially composed material, the editor/operator can alwaysreinsert shots or scenes previously deleted or add completely new shotsfrom the original source material or, from direct video input ports byreceiving signals from external devices such as video cameras or remotefeeds. The editor can even compose multiple versions of the same storyusing a single set of source materials (and the plural program bins) anddecide at a later time which one to use for final release.

When the composition is complete, the apparatus and method will producea complete program package for news and/or an edit confirmation list inmachine readable form (for programs) that can be used by conventionalcomputer controlled on-line editing systems. This implementation can beaccomplished with remote autoconfirmation with little or no operatorintervention. In the illustrated embodiment, the system will also drive3/4, 1, and 2 inch tape transports directly as external interfaces,through interface 124, under the control of controller 22, to providefull on-line editing capability.

The invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practicedin the absence of any element or step which is not specificallydisclosed herein.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered tobe preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood thatvarious modifications may be made therein without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention isindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription.

I claim:
 1. Composing apparatus for selecting segments from image sourcematerial stored in at lease one storage medium and for denoting seriallyconnected sequences of said segments, said apparatus comprising:apictorial display means; an operator control means; at least one firstrandom access storage medium for storing a plurality of duplicatecounterparts of image source material; and a composing control meansresponsive to said operator control means for controlling said storagemedia, said random access storage medium, and said pictorial displaymeans, said composing control means comprising:means for denoting astart and an end of each of a plurality of segments of said sourcematerial; means for identifying each said segment by at least onepictorial image segment label; means for selectively displaying segmentsof said image source material on said pictorial display means; means forassembling at least a plurality of said labels into a serially connectedlabel sequence; operator responsive means for locating any said segmentby displaying said pictorial labels in said label sequence; and saiddisplaying means being further adapted for displaying the segmentidentified by a selected label.
 2. Composing apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein:said random access storage medium is selected from thegroup consisting of a Winchester hard disk, an analog video disk, alaser read/write disk, a large computer RAM, a bubble memory, and acrystal memory.
 3. Composing apparatus according to claim 1,wherein:said random access storage medium comprises at least one of aWinchester hard disk and a laser read/write disk; and said apparatusfurther includes means for digitizing and compressing said image sourcematerial for storage in said random access storage medium, and fordecompressing said image source material upon retrieval from said randomaccess storage medium.
 4. Composing apparatus according to claim 1,further including:at least one serial storage medium; and said composingcontrol means further comprises means for selectively controlling imageinformation retrieval from said random access storage medium and saidserial storage medium for display on said pictorial display means. 5.Composing apparatus according to claim 1, further including:means forassociating any image source segment with stored text material; andswitch means for selectively switching between displaying said storedtext material and displaying the pictorial label associated with theimage source segment.
 6. Composing apparatus according to claim 1,wherein:each said segment of image source material includes a pluralityimage source frames; said apparatus includes a second random accessmemory storage medium for storing said image segment labels; and saidapparatus further includes means for automatically digitizing andstoring a pictorial image label in said second random access memorystorage for each image source frame as said image source frame is beinginput into said first random access storage medium, for allowing theselection of beginning and ending image segment labels for each of saidsegment.
 7. A composing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein:each ofsaid segment of image source material includes a pluality of imagesource frames; said apparatus further includes means for generating apictorial image label for each said frames of said image sourcematerial; and means for selecting at least one of said pictorial imagelabels of said frames as an image segment label of a correspondingsegment; said selecting means allows for the selection of image segmentlabels for any of said segments.
 8. A composing apparatus as recited inclaim 7, wherein:said generating means generates said pictorial imagelabels for each of said frames substantially automatically.